Anthy's Cousin
by cousin D
Summary: Ranma 1/2 crossover with Utena. Ranma finds his cousin, but doesn't like what he finds and tries to fix it. Finally finished!


  
  
  
Ranma 1/2 x-over Utena  
These characters are not mine. Pity.  
By the way, I know that the characters are out of character. I like them better this way.  
  
  
  
Thanks Kira Saionji for helping me with the story.  
  
  
Anthy's cousin  
  
  
Ranma and his crew (Ryoga, Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo, Kuno, and Mousse) all walk slowly to their new school. There were many other students walking with them. The students from Furenkin High were dressed in their usual uniforms with the exceptions of the crew.   
  
"So," Ranma said. "What do you think about this new school?"  
  
Kuno shrugged. "It is nothing. Just a place to go until Furiken is replaced. Though I hear Ohtori Academy's Kendo club is quite famous. I really must try them." Kuno looked thoughtful. For once, everyone seemed to be getting on quite well. In truth, the entire Nermia crew had declared a truce. While they were at this new school, they wouldn't try to kill each other. Well...not much.  
  
Akane gave Ranma a dirty look. "And we all know who's fault it is that we need a new school in the first place, don't we?" Despite the truce, she couldn't stop herself from old habits. Like teasing Ranma.  
  
Everyone looked at Ranma accusingly.  
  
"It wasn't my fault! You guys always blame me!" Ranma shouted in his defense. He was, as usual, walking along the high fence along the road. It was simple for him and he liked to show off. The truth was, anyone here could do it, Ranma was just more of an exhibitionist.   
  
Ryoga snorted a laugh. "You were the one who used the Hiryu Shotenha."  
  
Ranma shot back, "Well excuse me, but I seem to remember someone using the breaking point!"  
  
Ryoga blushed and looked down guiltily.  
  
"What are you doing here anyway, Ryoga?" Ranma asked sourly. "You haven't been to school since what? The fifth grade?"  
  
Ryoga turned his face away with a martyred look. "I'm here to protect Akane from the unknown dangers in this new school."  
  
"You mean guys, right?"  
  
"Shut up, Ranma!"  
  
Akane tried her very best to ignore the both of them.  
  
"What about you, Shampoo?" Ukyo asked the amazon girl. Shampoo was riding her infamous bicycle of death and cooed,  
  
"Shampoo here to be with Ranma!" She giggled happily. "No want outside influences to distract Airen from Shampoo." She looked at the two other girls from the corner of her eye. "Shampoo know you two is no threat, but might be pretty girls here."  
  
Akane and Ukyo were ready to kill her when they heard a voice behind them.  
  
"We'd better get going or we're going to be late." Nabiki said coming up from behind them. As usual, she was impeccably dressed and looking very sharp. She was also smiling smugly.  
  
"Nabiki?" Akane said to her older sister. "Why are you so late? I thought maybe you decided to stay home."  
  
"More to the point," Ranma added jumping down from the fence. "Why are you so happy?" He just hated when she was happy. It usually meant she was up to something.  
  
Nabiki smirked. "Someone has to get things organized around here. I'll bet you all didn't give any thought to where we'd be living while we were here, did you?"  
  
They all looked at each other dumbly.  
  
"Just as I thought. I have no desire to hike ten miles to school every day, so I got us a place with some other students. I'll take you all there when we meet tonight." She smiled that arrogant smile she always got when she made a great deal. "You won't believe this place. It's fantastic and with only two other students in the dorm. I say dorm, but it's more like a mansion."   
  
Ohtori Academy was unlike anything they'd ever seen before and certainly not what they'd expected. It was huge and looked like a castle. Everyone just stood outside the gates and stared a moment.  
  
On the front of the school was the stylized crest of a rose.  
  
  
  
  
Utena was walking to school with her dear friend Anthy and saw immediately the group of new students. They were dressed very strangely, most of them weren't in uniforms at all. "Who do you think they are?" She asked Anthy.  
  
"I don't know, Miss Utena." Anthy responded in her normally sweet tone. Then Anthy saw one of the new students and said. "I do recognize one of them." She pointed out Nabiki. "I rented some rooms to that girl this morning after you left for your morning run. Her name is Tendo Nabiki."  
  
"What do you think of her?"  
  
"She seems very nice."  
  
Well, that didn't mean anything. Anthy thought everyone was nice.  
  
  
  
In school-  
  
  
The group from Nermia stood in a line at the front of the class and the teacher spoke to the class. "Everyone, I'd like you to welcome our new students. They are from Furenkin High, you'll remember that they recently had a mysterious, terrible fire, and these students have been assigned to us for a few weeks. Please make them welcome."  
  
A boy with a red Chinese shirt and a braid stepped forward and bowed to the class. He was far better built than anyone in the school and had a defiant look in his beautiful blue eyes. "I am Satome Ranma."  
  
Utena heard a girl next to her whisper to a friend, "He looks so strong! I wonder if he works out?"  
  
Next was a girl in a regular dress uniform. It was far more modest that what the students were used to seeing, the dress went to her knees. The girl had a sweet smile and very short hair. "I am Tendo Akane."  
  
Another girl who looked similar to Akane but with lighter brown hair and the same uniform and a slimmer build didn't bow. She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at everyone. "I am Tendo Nabiki. I look forward to doing business with you all."  
  
Everyone wondered what she meant by that.  
  
"Tendo Nabiki and Kuno Tatawaki will be in our class as their grade class is full, they is actually a year older than the rest of you." The teacher explained.  
  
Then there was a boy with black hair and a yellow and black bandanna. He also, to Utena's surprise, had fangs and carried an umbrella. This was Hibiki Ryoga and he looked remarkable like Satome Ranma.  
  
Utena thought Kuongi Ukyo was a boy at first, but she was a girl. Perhaps she wanted to be a prince, also. Utena, herself, always dressed like a boy. The uniform was far more comfortable and practical.   
  
Shampoo was by far the most colorfully dressed person in the school with bright silks for cloths and bright purple hair. She was obviously Chinese by her accent and seemed very cheerful. Until she said in her high pitched voice, "Shampoo is great warrior." She glared at everyone in the room. "Any want to fight for Airen, Shampoo is ready!" She was, by Utena's reckoning, a little to ready to fight.  
  
Ranma groaned and covered his eyes with his hands.  
  
A boy in a long white robe and hair longer than Touga's was Mousse. He wore thick glasses that completely obscured his eyes. "My darling Shampoo, you mustn't put yourself in danger." He looked at her and his voice was filled with adoration and several girls in the class sighed with the romance of it all.   
  
Then Mousse looked at the class. "Let me fight any who dare offend you!" Out of the sleeves of his long robe came several short spears, causing several of the students to scream with surprise.   
  
Shampoo hit Mousse over the head and told him, "Put weapons away, stupid duck!"  
  
Mousse meekly did as he was told.  
  
The last person was dressed in a Kendo uniform and had his bokten strapped to his back. Kuno Tatawaki and he seemed to be just the sort of boy that would fit right in to this school. He had Saionji's good looks and Touga's cool, confident appearance, and, apparently, not a brain in his head. Utena wondered if he knew what he was getting himself into if he chose to go into the Kendo club. He certainly couldn't be a match for Saionji, the captain of the Kendo club, or Touga.  
  
"Well," the teacher said. "It's nice to have you all here, but I must insist that you all were our school uniform."  
  
Ranma shook his head almost without thinking. "No way."  
  
"For once, I agree with Ranma." Ryoga said, looking at the uniforms that the boys wore. "I'm not dressing like that!"  
  
Kuno crossed his arms over his chest. "I will not be seen in such an outfit."  
  
Akane scowled at the girl's uniforms, the barely decent skirts and tight shirts. "Not a chance in Hell." She growled crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
The girls all agreed with Akane for different reasons. Ukyo wouldn't wear a girl's uniform and said it was obscene for high school girls to dress like that. Shampoo didn't like the colors of the uniforms. Nabiki didn't want to spend the money on new uniforms, as she all ready had to worry about feeding the family back home and taking care of food and rent here.  
  
The teacher wasn't used to such blatant disobedience and frowned at them. "If you are not willing to obey the rules, you will have to leave the school."  
  
They all shrugged. "All right." As they turned to leave, the teacher, stunned that his threat hadn't worked, shouted,  
  
"You can't just leave!"  
  
Ranma looked confused. "You just said we could."  
  
The teacher looked flustered in the face of such logic. "Please, just sit down. We'll get the uniform situation sorted out later."  
  
Everyone shrugged and found empty seats. Ranma found himself sitting next to a familiar looking girl with dark skin and purple hair. She wore large glasses and had a cast mark in the middle of her forehead. Ranma felt he should remember her.  
  
He stared at her for such a long time that Akane, Ukyo, and Shampoo were all glaring daggers at him. The teacher, finally fed up with this, snapped at Ranma. "Do you want to say something to Anthy, Mr. Satome?"  
  
Ranma didn't answer, but he snapped his fingers and understanding came into his eyes. "Anthy! That's it!" Ranma jumped out of his chair and landed nimbly on the startled Anthy's desk. "Hey, girl, how's it going? I haven't seen you in years."  
  
Anthy looked confused. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"  
  
Ranma looked terribly hurt, almost as if he would cry, then he perked up. "Well, it's been such a long time, I suppose you must have forgotten me. I'm Ranma."  
  
She just stared, uncomprehending.  
  
"Ranma. Your cousin. Remember?"  
  
Anthy thought a moment before a hazy memory came back to her. A six year old boy with wild black hair was playing her with her. Playing, if she remembered properly, involved fighting. She remembered how fast he was and his laughter. Looking at this boy, she recognized the cornflower blue eyes.  
  
"Ranma!" She stood up and the two hugged happily.  
  
"Sit down!" The teacher screamed, finally at the end of his rope. "You can continue your reunion later."  
  
"Geeze, fine." Ranma muttered. He sat back in his seat, leaned back comfortably, and promptly fell asleep.  
  
Everyone stared. He had deliberately fallen asleep infront of the teacher without any effort to pay attention.  
  
"What's with him?" The teacher asked no one in particular as he marched over to the new student's desk. "Wake up, Mr. Satome." He shook the boy's shoulder.  
  
Akane laughed. "Sir? Excuse me, but that'll never work. Please, allow me." From no where, Akane whipped out the largest wooden mallet Utena had ever seen and smashed the boy over the head with it. He fell with a great crash to the floor in a heap of splintered wood.  
  
Several people screamed, afraid that the girl had killed him. The kids from Nermia laughed at Akane. "You never change." Ukyo snorted with amusement.   
  
Touga, a tall boy with long red hair stood up, surprised. He certainly hadn't expected that.  
  
The teacher grabbed Akane by the arm. "What have you done? You've probably killed him!" He yelled, horrified.  
  
Akane glared at the man's hand on her arm. She hated it when men touched her without invitation. In that way, she was very much an Amazon and Shampoo approved of this attitude.  
  
Ryoga smirked. "Unless you want to lose that hand, I'd let go if I were you. Akane has a temper to match a demon."  
  
Indeed, the girl was shaking with rage and when she looked up her eyes were burning. "Let go." She said quietly, trying to control herself.  
  
The teacher wisely decided to obey when a black aura glowed around Akane.  
  
Ranma was still snoring loudly on the floor among the crushed wreckage that had been his desk. He stayed there all day as the teacher had realized that it wasn't worth the trouble to wake him up and that his day would be more peaceful with the boy asleep.  
  
  
  
Later that day-  
  
  
  
Ranma and the Nermia wrecking crew, as their families fondly called them, were taking their lunch break outside and Ranma was complaining.  
  
"Do you believe they call that a gym class? I can't believe they're wasting our time with it." He groaned and looked at Ryoga who launched himself at Ranma with a savage kick.  
  
"Quick griping." Ryoga advised him, just missing Ranma's face. "At least we have an hour to work out properly during lunch."  
  
"Pig-boy right." Shampoo said from where she was throwing knives at Ukyo. "One hour better than none, Airen."  
  
Ukyo took several of her little razor sharp spatulas and flung them at Shampoo. "I agree with Ranma honey." She said. "If they would give us a free period to work out properly then we'd get much more done. It would be much more productive than that pitiful excuse for gym class. Do you know what they had us doing in the girl's gym class? Running. That's it. Running around the track. How am I supposed to keep my edge like that?"  
  
Kuno groaned from where he was practicing his sword technique against Mousse with a sword he'd pulled from some hidden spot in his robe. "Just running? How dull. And they call this a challenging school. I find myself most disappointed. At least at Furiken they respected our talent and the foul commoners did not interfere with our exercises."  
  
Aside from all the fighting Akane was lifting weights. To be more specific, Akane was bench pressing a motorcycle she had found parked outside the school. She didn't steal it. She was just borrowing it. After all, what could she do when everyone else had a sparing partner and Nabiki was working on homework? At least Akane could work on her strength.  
  
"If you ask me, this place is pretty weird." She commented. "Just think about it. There's a giant castle floating over the back field and no one seems to notice it."  
  
"Well, we have seen stranger things than that, Akane." Ranma reminded her. Ryoga threw a razor sharp bandanna at him which Ranma caught and threw back. It flew over Ryoga's head and lodged in a tree.  
  
"True, but the student council is pretty freaky, too. I've seen a couple of them, but they're not very friendly." She thought a moment. "No, I'm wrong. That red headed Toga is a little to friendly, if you know what I mean."  
  
No one even paused. "Did he touch you?" Ranma asked, not in the least bit jealous. He had seen Touga and he couldn't imagine Akane falling for a wimp like that. Someone like Ryoga, Mousse, or even Kuno, yes. He might lose her to one of them, but not that geek who probably didn't know the first thing about fighting.   
  
Touga had been in their first morning class and he seemed to do very little other than just sit there. He did no work, just relaxed. Unlike Ranma, the teacher didn't do anything about Touga. Like the boy were special or something.  
  
"No." Akane answered. "But I might have to teach him a lesson if he doesn't get distracted by someone else soon."  
  
Shampoo giggled. "You call me for fun, Akane. Beating silly men is fun."  
  
Akane, not burdened with watching and opponent, saw something odd out of the corner of her eye and set the motorcycle down easily. She would have to return it soon, or the owner might get a little angry.  
  
Most of the school was watching them, but Akane was used to that. Everyone always stared when they practiced in public. They watched with wide eyes and Akane permitted herself a little giggle at how large the eyes would be if a sudden rain storm broke out. Cold water was not good for several of her friends. Akane didn't notice the tall man with bright red hair watching. This young man was very thin and had a sinister cast to his face. This was Touga, the object of Akane and Shampoo's amusement.  
  
Akane saw Anthy, Ranma's cousin, a some distance away near a rose garden that seemed to be the pride of the school. Akane liked the girl, from what little she knew about her. The girl seemed very nice and polite, a bit like Akane's oldest sister, Kasumi. Anthy was also sweet and gentle, not at all what Akane would have expected of Ranma's cousin.  
  
There was a boy with bright green hair with her, but that couldn't be considered odd. After all, Anthy was a very pretty girl. The conversation seemed to be getting rough and Akane felt her protective nature coming out. Anthy was cowering away from the tall, green haired boy.  
  
"Hey!" Akane shouted to get everyone's attention. She pointed to the situation once everyone had stopped their matches. She didn't need to say anything more.  
  
  
  
  
Utena watched with amazement. The athletic field was abandoned when lunch time rolled around and before anyone could claim it, the new students came out. They were so odd, Utena thought. Every one of them walked with an air of confidence that made Touga look like a spineless wimp.  
  
Ranma, most of all, made such an impression. He was so confident and his reaction to Anthy nearly made Utena fall over this morning. She hadn't known Anthy had family and she didn't know why Anthy hadn't told her about Ranma.  
  
The pink haired Utena was watching them when they people moved out on to the field and took partners. It took a few minutes before Utena realized what they were doing.  
  
She couldn't understand it until the kendoist took out his bokten and stood ready for a duel with the Chinese boy, Mousse. Kendo was the most popular sport at the school, so it wasn't so surprising to Utena that Kuno was a Kendoist. It did surprise her that he was dueling with an unarmed man and the force he attacked with. The way Kuno was going at it, you'd think he was trying to kill Mousse.  
  
Then she saw Ranma and the fanged boy, Ryoga, start to fight. They, however, fought with bare hands and that was unusual. To the extent that Utena, and most of the rest of the student body, stared, speechless. They had never seen anyone fight like that. The boys became blurs of speed and occasionally, Utena felt the earth shake.  
  
Two of the girls were fighting, but they were using odd weapons. Ukyo had a huge spatula and the Shampoo held two balls on sticks. They were savage and brutal.  
  
Nabiki, the quiet, cool one of the group was shuffling though papers, probably homework. Every now and again she would look at the group of students watching her friends and then sift through her papers again. She seemed to be organizing something.  
  
Finally, there was Akane, the most peaceful seeming of the group who had earlier nearly killed one of her friends, Ranma, with a mallet she had pulled from no where. Akane had carried a large motorcycle that belonged to one of the teachers out back and was lying on her back, bench pressing the large thing.  
  
The strangest thing to Utena, though, was that they were all talking amiably while they were fighting. While she was watching this, Utena saw Akane look up and shout something to her friends and point. Utena looked to where Akane was pointing and saw Saionji with Anthy. Utena snarled and everything stopped.  
  
  
  
  
The green haired young man raised his hand to slap Anthy when he suddenly found his wrist caught by a vise like grip.  
  
Ranma stood behind him and his eyes were on fire. "You dare?" Ranma squeezed the wrist in his hand and Saionji gasped in pain. "You dare to raise your hand to Anthy?"  
  
Utena, who had arrived at the same time as Ranma, took Anthy's hand and pulled her away from the fight. "Anthy doesn't fight." She told Ranma. "She's not strong enough." Then she looked at Saionji, still in pain by Ranma. "You know you have to beat me in a duel, Saionji. You can't just take her!" Utena didn't like Anthy to be with Saionji as he was very violent toward her. The jerk didn't know how to treat a lady and was often seen beating on Anthy. Now, she would have to help out Ranma obviously didn't know what he was getting into by challenging Saionji.  
  
She took Anthy to stand next to Ukyo and moved to help Ranma, when Ukyo took her arm. "Don't worry." Ukyo said. "Ranma can take care of this. You're Utena, right?"  
  
"Yes, but you don't understand. Saionji is a great swordsman, if he decides to fight your friend might get hurt."  
  
Mousse heard this and doubled over laughing. "Him?! Hurt Ranma? Ha Ha Ha!"  
  
"Not strong enough?" Ranma echoed what Utena had said earlier. "Of coarse Anthy's strong enough, she's as strong as I am. I'll just have to remind her." He gave Saionji another squeeze, making the other scream in agony as he went to his knees.   
  
Utena was amazed. This boy was unbelievably strong.  
  
Usually, Ranma was the gentlest of souls. He didn't actually like hurting people. He just liked fighting. This time, however, the screams were an intense pleasure to him.  
  
All of Ranma's friends were there now, encircling Saionji. Shampoo had her hands on her hips. "Is no right to treat woman like that." She told him in a scathing tone.  
  
"Gotta agree." Ukyo cracked her knuckles. "You don't hurt a helpless girl."  
  
Ryoga was trembling with rage. "You bastard! How dare you try to hurt poor Anthy? Fight a real man next time!" He slammed his umbrella onto the ground, and Utena was shocked to see a four-foot wide crater formed where the umbrella had struck the cement ground.   
  
Kuno had out his sword and looked ready to do battle. "Cur! No real man would beat a woman. It hurts my pride as a man to see such a thing being done by a fellow swordsman. For my own honor's sake, I will destroy you!"  
  
Utena saw in his eyes that this boy was more than a little insane.  
  
Akane was looking at the ground and when she looked up, Ranma wisely let go of Saionji and took a couple of steps backwards. Akane's gaze was black and her legendary temper flared to life. "If you ever touch her again, I will kill you."  
  
From no where Akane pulled out her mallet and then Saionji was gone. Curtsey of Mallet airlines, Saionji was currently flying toward Juban where he would meet a group of scantily clad young girls who would pound the tar out of him after he made a sexist remark before sending him on his way. Saionji returned to the school several weeks later, still recuperating from burns, bruises, broken bones, and humiliation.  
  
"Huddle, guys." Ranma said. His friends all gathered around him. "We can't let this go on."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement. "We can't let Anthy be used like this by any guy who comes along." Akane agreed. "But what can we do about it?"  
  
Shampoo's face brightened up with a smile. "We send her on training trip. Make true woman of her!"  
  
Ryoga looked thoughtful. "That's a good idea, but she can't go alone. I don't think she'd be able to take care of herself."  
  
Everyone looked to where Anthy was being looked over by Utena to make sure Saionji hadn't hurt her.   
  
"We can all take turns taking care of her until she's capable of doing it herself." Ukyo suggested. "Everyone takes a week, that sort of thing."  
  
"Good idea." Ranma said. "But where should she go? Any ideas?"  
  
Nabiki crossed her arms in a superior way. "Ranma, I'm surprised you didn't think of it yourself. I know the perfect place and none of us will have to miss any school."  
  
"Really, Nabiki?" Akane said to her sister. "Where?"  
  
"The Chinese Amazons of the Biankala Mountain Range of China."  
  
Slowly, everyone smiled.   
  
Shampoo squealed and clapped her hands together. "Is great idea, Nabiki! I call great grandmother, she be so happy. New Amazons always welcome."  
  
"By the way," Nabiki said in her smug way, "Anthy is the girl I rented the rooms from."  
  
Ranma was instantly happy at this. "Great! I can get to know her again. It's been so long."  
  
"You never told me you had a cousin." Akane said, curiously.  
  
Ranma's mind went back to his first meeting with Anthy.  
  
  
  
  
His mom, Nadoka, wanted another baby, but it wasn't possible, for some reason. So, she'd decided to adopt, or at least foster a child. Ranma had waited at home with his pop while his mom went to the orphanage to get a child. Ranma, at the time, didn't understand what was going on, exactly, but he knew something was going on. His mom had decorated the spare room for a little girl.  
  
"Don't worry, Ranma." His mom had told him. "You'll like having a little cousin. Just think, you'll be able to train her with anything goes, just like your father. I'll train her to use the katana." His mom was so happy and Ranma was happy for her, but having another kid in the house didn't sound like much fun.  
  
"Won't she be like a sister?"  
  
"Well, she won't really be your sister for a little while, so we'll call her your cousin until we can adopt her properly."  
  
When his mom had gotten home that night with the new little girl, Ranma instantly changed his mind. She was dark skinned and had very dark hair. She was a tomboy, a quality he liked in a girl.   
  
Anthy, that was her name, would sit in her room all day at first. She had lost her family, Ranma's mom had told him. They needed to be patient with Anthy and let her come out on her own.  
  
Unfortunately, Ranma had never been very patient. He barged into Anthy's room and wanted to play with her. Ranma's play involved fighting and Anthy played very well when he got her angry.  
  
Anthy was strong, not well trained, but Ranma was sure he could fix that. They played for several hours until his mother called them in for dinner. Anthy learned to eat like a Satome, or she would have starved.   
  
Nadoka was pleased that her new child was adapting to the family so quickly. Anthy was, in a short time, running in the woods with Ranma and sparing with him and Genma. Her training with the katana was proceeding quickly, so quickly that Nadoka was sure she had found the heir she had so desired. While Ranma was heir to Anything Goes, Anthy would be heir to Nadoka's family sword.  
  
This bliss lasted for nearly three months and the adoption papers were nearly ready. One day, the child services came and took Anthy away.  
  
"She has a brother waiting for her." The man had told Nadoka. "He's been adopted already and we don't want to separate family, if we don't have to. The family is good, you won't have to worry about her."  
  
In the end, they didn't have a choice. If she had seen any hope, Nadoka would have died to keep Anthy with her family, but that would do no good.  
  
Ranma and Anthy had even run away so Anthy wouldn't have to go with the children's workers and Nadoka had to send Genma out to find them. Ranma was physically restrained while Anthy was dragged crying into a car and driven away.  
  
It took a long time for Ranma to get over the loss of his cousin.   
  
  
  
  
Ranma looked over his shoulder at Anthy, now laughing with her friend, Utena. She was so different. Where was the girl who had chased him into a tree after stealing mom's katana? The girl who could out eat him and climb faster than he could run?  
  
She was so...meek. So helpless.  
  
  
  
After school they walked together to the dorm with Utena and Anthy. Ranma had never stayed in a place so grand. It seemed almost as big as a school itself and they were all given separate rooms.   
  
The back yard was the best part, though. It was big enough that they could all spar together in the morning.  
  
  
  
Utena was awaken by a terrible sound. Screams and explosions rocked the building. The earth shook and Anthy was all ready out of bed, staring out the window.  
  
"Anthy!" Utena shouted with alarm. "Get away from the window, it's an earthquake!"  
  
Anthy looked at her slightly surprised. "Don't be silly, Miss Utena." As she went obediently to Utena's side. "There's no earthquake. Come look out the window."  
  
Utena, now that the house had stopped shaking, went to the window and was shocked. They were fighting. All of them were taking turns beating on one another and seemed to use some magic to increase their strength. It had to be magic. After all, how could they do such things without magic?  
  
  
  
They finished their morning workout and were sitting together to make plans to get Anthy away from the school today.  
  
"It's got to be a surprise, and we have to do it quietly." Mousse said. "The longer time we have before they realize Anthy is gone, the safer she'll be."  
  
"You sound like you've done this before?" Ukyo said.  
  
Mousse looked at Akane guiltily. "It won't be the first time I've planned a kidnapping."  
  
"That means we'll have to distract Utena, they're always together. We won't have long before Utena realizes Anthy is gone." Akane said regretfully. "I like her, Utena seems to be the only one to treat Anthy like a person."  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said, for once thoughtful. "But if she does really like Anthy, she'll want her to be the best she can, and that means Anthy has to learn to think for herself. Are we agreed?"  
  
Everyone agreed with him and they decided that doing it just before school would be best. The more crowded it was the less chance of Utena trying to fight back. They didn't want to fight her as she would inevitably be hurt.  
  
  
  
Utena thought the walk to school was very quiet. The new students weren't talking, not even to each other. Anthy was walking sedately next to Utena and talking with Ranma who was on her other side.   
  
Utena was still trying to figure out why she was getting a bad feeling from the Nermia people when Wakaba tackled her. The other girl clamped onto Utena and she fell forward slightly, trying to keep her balance.  
  
"Oh, miss Utena, it's so good to see you!" Wakaba cooed in her usual way and rubbing her cheek against Utena's hair.  
  
When Utena looked up Anthy was gone. So were Ranma and the boy, Mousse. Utena was silent for a moment.  
  
"Where's Anthy?" She asked, pushing herself to her feet and looking at the remaining people suspiciously.  
  
"Gone." Akane answered softly. She was looking at Utena as if she felt sorry for her. "Anthy is very safe, she just needed to get away for a little while."  
  
Utena shook her head. "Anthy wouldn't have gone away without asking me. You've taken her." There were tears in her eyes.  
  
"Ah," Ukyo said with a little smile. "You've just come to the problem. She would have asked your permission. That's what we think she needs a cure for. She shouldn't feel that she has to ask anyone's permission to go on a vacation."  
  
"Vacation?" Utena's rage was building steadily.  
  
"True." Ryoga said. "Not exactly a vacation most people might choose, but I think she'll be happier when it's all over with."  
  
Utena was suddenly very angry. "Vacation?! You've kidnapped my best friend!" She was screaming now and nearly on the verge of tears. "Where have you taken her?"  
  
"Somewhere that you'll never find her." Akane told her. "Don't worry, Utena. She won't be hurt." Akane thought a moment. "Well, maybe a little, but not much. In fact, she'll be in the most secure place in the world and when she comes back, she'll be far stronger than you can imagine."  
  
Utena didn't register the calm words, the soothing voice that was trying so hard to comfort her. She was nearly in a fury now. Utena screamed with rage and charged at the speaker.  
  
Akane was a little surprised to find herself being attacked, but not much. She had rather expected Utena to react badly. Utena was tall and thin, but she wasn't as fast as Ranma, nor was she as strong as Ryoga. Akane easily caught Utena and held her in a bear hug until the pink haired girl's wild struggles ran out and she just cried soundlessly.  
  
Wakaba watched all this confused, but she didn't like seeing her dear Utena hurt. "Let go of Utena!" Wakaba shouted.  
  
Shampoo smiled at Wakaba. "Is nice you want to protect her, but she no need it."  
  
Akane finally let Utena go and Utena slumped to the sidewalk, crying. Akane wanted to comfort her, but she knew Utena wouldn't want it from her. The girl was stronger than average teenage girls, but she was no match for even Akane, who was by no means the strongest of their group.  
  
Wakaba helped Utena to her feet and the two of them walked slowly into the school feeling very helpless.  
  
  
  
Ranma carried his cousin as he and Mousse ran lightening fast through the dense forests of China. Anthy wasn't afraid, but she was confused and kept asking where Utena was. Ranma was praying that Cologne would be able to help, and if anyone did, it would be the old Ghoul.  
  
Mousse led him directly to the village and they were welcomed. Ranma had been half-afraid that he would be challenged, but apparently having Mousse and a girl with him gave him some lenience. Mousse then took him to the largest hut in the village.  
  
"This is Cologne's home. We'll find her there, if she's still in the village."  
  
Ranma held Anthy's hand and wished she weren't smiling. She was to easy with all this. It was true they had been best friends for a long while as children, but that was years ago and now he had kidnapped her without explanation and taken her to another country for Kami knows what reason. She should be scared or angry or...or something! Some emotion. Anthy just followed his lead and smiled cheerily at everyone she saw.  
  
"This is a nice village, Ranma. Why are we here?" Anthy asked at last.  
  
"Because I have someone I want you to meet. I hope she's going to teach you a few things." Ranma wanted to cry at her lack of concern. What if he had been some horrible pervert? Would she have cared at all? Would she have fought to protect herself, or just gone smiling to her fate as she was now. It wasn't right. This just wasn't right.  
  
Cologne was in her home and with a surprise for Ranma.  
  
"Mom!"  
  
Nadoka Satome smiled at her beloved son. "Hello, Ranma. I didn't expect you here. Who's your friend?" She looked at Anthy.  
  
"Mom, you remember Cousin Anthy, right?"  
  
Nadoka gasped and looked closer at Anthy. She took a few steps closer. "Anthy? My dear little An?"  
  
The same bright smile lit Anthy's face. "Good afternoon, Auntie. It's been so long."  
  
Nadoka threw herself at Anthy and nearly smothered her with a hug. While this was going on, Ranma went to Cologne who'd watched the whole thing in silence.  
  
"She wasn't always like this." Ranma said quietly.  
  
Cologne took a puff on her pipe as she examined Anthy who was now talking to Nadoka. "I take it you brought her here for a reason?"  
  
Ranma nodded.  
  
They stayed in the village for one day as Cologne tested Anthy. It wasn't a pretty sight. Anthy failed miserably at any task Cologne set her at and Nadoka watched the tests with growing anxiety.  
  
"What's happened to her?" She asked her son. "Anthy used to be so fiery." She hadn't had to talk to Anthy for long to realize something was horribly wrong. The girl had no will power.  
  
Ranma grumbled. "That school she's been going to has done something to her. Do you know after I found her there, we saw some guy about to hit her." Ranma was angry, but it really wasn't the worst part. "She was going to let him, mom. I watched and she was just going to sit there and take it! She didn't even try to defend herself."  
  
Cologne had joined them now. "There is hope for the girl. It seems to me that she once had great power, but somehow, she's forgotten it. It's as if she was brain washed. All we have to do is reawaken her knowledge. I can see in her moves that her body remembers, but her mind does not."  
  
"Will you train her?" Ranma asked. He hated asking the ghoul for favors, but this WAS his cousin, after all.  
  
Cologne paused long enough to watch Anthy pick herself up. Their eyes met and Cologne saw something in them. It was a spark, small, but it was there. It was the same defiant spark she saw in Shampoo whenever she was challenged. But, instead of acting on her emotions, Anthy quickly squashed her spark and made her face blank.  
  
"Yes." Cologne answered, though she gave no reason for it, nor did she ask anything of Ranma in trade.   
  
  
  
Ranma had changed his mind, he wanted to stay with Anthy instead of going back to the school and now he was arguing with his mother about it.  
  
"No, Ranma. You will return to school. Do you understand?" His mom told him firmly.  
  
Ranma paced unhappily. "No, I don't understand. I want to stay with Anthy! I just found her again; I don't want to lose her. Mom, it's like I found my long lost sister and you want me to give her up again?"  
  
Nadoka smiled at her son. She was so proud of him for wanting to protect Anthy. "No, Ranma, I don't want you to give her up. Cologne has asked me to stay and help reeducate Anthy and I've agreed. I would have stayed even if Cologne hadn't asked, Anthy is practically my daughter. We will have to put Anthy through many things you will not like to see. I don't want any interference in her training, Ranma. Stay away. I will bring Anthy back to you as soon as possible, I swear it."  
  
"Is she going to be all right?" Ranma asked apprehensively.  
  
Nadoka frowned at her child. "Now, Ranma, do you honestly believe I'd hurt Anthy, the girl I've chosen as my heir?"  
  
Ranma had to think about it for a minute, but he finally answered, "No, I guess not."  
  
She patted him on the head like he were a six-year old and kissed his cheek. "That's my sweet boy. You and Mousse go back to school and let your friends know what's going on. You really can trust the Amazons to take care of her. They have a strict sense of honor here."  
  
Ranma looked at his mother and a thought occurred to him. "Mom, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm just visiting an uncle of mine. I'll introduce you sometime, if you like."  
  
"We have relatives in the Amazon village?"  
  
"A couple. Now, you'll have to get going or you'll miss the plane to Japan."  
  
"Actually, I swam to China with Mousse and Anthy."  
  
Nadoka raised an eyebrow. "You swam across the sea?"  
  
"Sure. That's how I did it last time, with pop."  
  
Nadoka rolled her eyes and pulled a wad of bills out of her pocket. She counted off several of the larger bills and gave them to Ranma. "Go by plane this time, dear. I won't worry so much that way."  
  
Ranma looked at the sudden wealth and wondered where his mom came by such money.  
With one last look at Anthy, now sitting with Cologne in the Amazon training fields, and picked up a bag of supplies and started away. Then his mother called him.  
  
"Ranma, dear," Ranma looked back to his mom. "Do me a favor, won't you?"  
  
"Sure, mom. What is it?"  
  
Nadoka pulled something out of her pocket and held it out to Ranma. "I want you to wear this when you get back to your school."  
  
Ranma took the gift and was quite surprised. It was a gold ring with a pink rose on it, exactly the same as the school's crest. "Well, it's pretty, mom, but why should I wear it?"  
  
Nadoka gave a secretive smile. "Let's just say I think it will shake things up a little. That school definitely needs shaking up."  
  
Ranma, never one to disobey his mom, slipped the ring on his finger. It was a bit feminine looking, but not that bad.   
  
  
  
  
Ohtori Academy-  
  
  
Akane had sort of made up with Utena. Fortunately, she wasn't one to hold a grudge and she only blamed Ranma and Mousse for taking Anthy. Akane and the other Furiken students were usually with Utena, for her own protection.  
  
Since Anthy's kidnapping, the student council had taken a mysterious interest in Utena that Akane couldn't understand. She had never seen Utena even talking with them before they took Anthy, now all of a sudden, they seemed to hate her. Ukyo had suggested that they keep an eye on the still depressed Utena, just in case the student council came looking for her. After all, they found out, Saionji, the jerk Akane had punted with her mallet, was the vice president of the student council. He could try to make things difficult for everyone.  
  
To Utena, her life was over. It was almost three weeks since Ranma and Mousse had taken Anthy and Utena's life seemed worthless. She hadn't been able to protect one lady in distress, what good was she?   
  
It happened so quickly.  
  
Utena was walking form one class to another, not exactly watching where she was going, but she was not expecting what she got. Something small and strong clamped onto her bottom.  
  
"EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!" She screamed, with a wild expression. Everyone in the hall stopped to see what had made Utena scream. That was a never before heard thing.   
  
There was a small, old man attached to Utena's rear end and he showed no sign of letting go. She tried everything short of killing him to get him off. The last straw was when she felt him rub his face against her. It wasn't easy to pry a man off your bottom without help, especially not this little man, and even Utena couldn't do it. Her only help came from an unexpected source.  
  
"You pervert!" Utena looked up to find the Nermia Wrecking crew looking very serious. For a moment, she was afraid they were looking at her. The little man dropped off Utena and started smoking a pipe.  
  
"Ah, my dearest little Akane. How kind of you to visit an old man while he's on holiday. I've missed you. Sweet-o!" He launched himself at her only to meet her mallet face first.  
  
The little old man broke through the ceiling and sailed through the clouds in much the same way Saionji had a few weeks ago.  
  
The dust settled and Utena found herself looking up at Kuno. "Did the knave harm thee, sweet lady? He is a most foul demon and we would surely destroy him if we were able. It seems, though, that we are only able to drive him off for him to return another day."  
  
"Uh, I'm fine. Who was that?" Utena said, not used to Kuno's speech.  
  
"That was Happosi." Ryoga answered with hate in his voice. "He's a grade A pervert. Don't ever let him touch you, he gets power that way."  
  
"Grandfather Happosi is not to be played with, Utena." Akane said. "He really is very dangerous. If we'd known he was in the neighborhood we'd have told all the girls to be on the look out. He won't actually hurt you, but he will steal your underwear."  
  
"My what?" Utena blushed thinking of her wash drying on the line outside at home.  
  
"Underwear. You know, panties or bra or both. He collects them. The best way to deal with him is to ignore him or, if you can, try to kill him."  
  
Utena looked up the hole in the ceiling again. "This is getting very weird." She mumbled.  
  
"The way our lives go, it'll get weirder." Akane told her.  
  
  
  
  
It was raining. In the rain a lone figure walked, soaked to the skin and walking with her head bowed down to keep the water out of her eyes.  
  
Touga watched the stranger enter the front yard of the school and walk slowly up the steps of the school and wondered who it was. He hadn't heard of any new students, other than the Nermia people. He thought of them for a moment and the rumors he'd heard of them fighting amongst their own group. It was a most unusual group of people, but they had little to do with him and kept to themselves. The only person they socialized with on a regular basis as Utena. Utena who had lost Anthy. The Rose Bride had been missing for two weeks now. As student council president, it was up to him to keep an eye on the new students.   
  
He would especially enjoy keeping an eye on the girls of the group. Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo had not yet succumbed to his charms, but they would. Touga was absolutely confident that he would have their adoration before they were here a month. Though now they looked at him with contempt or, worse, ignored him completely.  
  
Touga didn't know them very well.  
  
Everyone had gone into the school for the morning and the girl just managed to walk in before the gates closed. Touga watched as she came more into view and he could see her clearly.  
  
She walked into the school and looked very happy to be out of the rain.  
  
The girl was extremely attractive and very well built, even if she was a bit short. She had a long red braid and bright eyes. She wore a Chinese style outfit that looked several sizes to big. As he watched the girl tightened the belt of her trousers and rolled up the cuffs of her sleeves in an effort to make them fit better. She shook her head to get the rain out of her hair and then took an old backpack off. She set the pack on the hallway floor and lifted up the flap.  
  
Touga frowned at what he saw next. A white duck peered out of the bag. "Come on out, the coast is clear." The girl told the duck.  
  
The duck quacked and climbed out of the bag. It landed on the floor and looked up at the girl before letting out a stream of quacks that didn't seem entirely happy.  
  
"Don't blame me." The girl said. "It's not my fault it started raining just when we came into town."  
  
Touga was, at this time, beginning to doubt the girl's sanity. She was talking to a duck, after all. Still, she was very beautiful. He would introduce himself and find out what she was doing in his school.  
  
"Come on, Moo-Moo Chan," the girl said. "Let's go find some hot water."  
  
"What would you need with hot water?" Touga asked, smiling as he leaned against a wall, cool as he could be. "If I may ask, miss."  
  
The girl scowled at him blackly after finding out that she wasn't alone. "No, you may not ask. Buzz off, jerk." She picked up her bag and started down the hall with the duck following her.  
  
Touga didn't know what to say at first. No one, boy or girl, had ever been so directly rude to him. He did not stay tongue tied, however. "May I ask your name at least. I don't recognize you and as Student Council President, I should know every student." He ran to catch up with her and, once he did, gave her a dazzling smile again.  
  
"Go away."  
  
"Oh, come now." Touga put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so unfriendly. I'm just being polite."  
  
The red head stopped walking. "Get your hand off me, Touga."  
  
It surprised the tall, red haired man that she knew his name. "Do you know me?"  
  
"I know enough. Now, go away, before I get upset, you pervert." The girl cracked her knuckles menacingly, but Touga wasn't used to being intimidated.   
  
"There's a strict policy about no fighting in school, you know. We had some rather unruly students who would fight day in and day out, so for everyone's protection, we can't allow fighting on school grounds. If you start anything I can have you expelled." He leaned down to her and found her glaring at him.  
  
"Then I won't fight in the school. I'll drag your butt out into the street and beat it there. Now, let go!" The girl slapped his hand away and Touga gasped at the pain, it felt like his hand was broken. He was even more surprised of what he saw when she raised her hand to slap him. On her finger was a rose ring. Was she a new duelist? End of the World hadn't said anything. In fact, End of the World hadn't contacted them since Anthy had disappeared.  
  
Touga rubbed his throbbing hand and stepped away from her. They looked at each other wearily for a short time before the girl walked away with the duck following her.  
  
  
  
Ranma-Chan snuck around the school trying hard not to be seen. She didn't want everyone in this new school to know her other half was girl. Ranma-Chan was a small girl with brilliant red hair tied into a short pigtail. She had to find hot water and fast, or she might have to stay like this for a while. Ranma-Chan didn't like people to know she was cursed to be girl when she was splashed with cold water any more than Mousse liked people to know he turned into a duck. Or that Shampoo turned into a white and pink c...c...cat. Ranma shuddered at the thought. Cats. Ugg. Then there was Ryoga who turned into a black piglet. They were all victims of the Jusenkyo Springs with tragic curses.   
  
Ranma had tried to go back to the dorm house they were sharing with Utena and Anthy, but the doors had been locked and he'd lost his key. Since he didn't want to break the door he had to find Akane or one of the others and get a spare key. He couldn't go into the boy's bathroom looking like this and Ranma was to self-conscious to go into the girl's room.  
  
Finally, after peeking into all the classrooms, Ranma-Chan found Akane, Kuno, Utena, and the rest of his friends in math class. He peering in the small window in the door and waited until someone looked up to see him.   
  
Unfortunately, the person who saw her was Kuno. The kendoist leaped and let out a joyful cry. "My pigtailed goddess!" and he charged out the door.  
  
Ranma gulped and jumped back just before Kuno tore the door off its hinges.   
  
"My darling goddess," Kuno started. "How coy of you to follow me all the way here all then spy so shyly from the door. How I do love you."  
  
Ranma-Chan grumbled and went into a fighting stance. "Back off Kuno. I'm just looking for Akane."  
  
Kuno nodded with a self-assured smile. "Of coarse." He obviously didn't believe her.  
  
"Just get out of my way, Kuno!"  
  
"Mr. Kuno!" the teacher snapped. "Get back in here." The teacher stuck his head out and saw Ranma-Chan. "You get in here too, miss. You can't just stand in the hallway all day."  
  
Ranma-Chan blinked and then walked into the room and sat behind Akane. The teacher looked through her papers before she looked at Ranma-Chan. "I can't seem to find your name in here anywhere, miss. Who are you? Are you new in school?"  
  
Ranma-Chan stood and thought furiously before falling back on a favorite explanation. "I'm Ranko Tendo, Akane and Nabiki's cousin." She smiled winningly.  
  
"I see. You're from Nermia, also, then. Well, we'll get your paper work straightened out later."  
  
Ranma-Chan sat down with a relieved sigh.   
  
Akane, when the teacher's back was turned, whispered over her shoulder. "What are you doing here like that? Is Anthy all right?"  
  
"Anthy's fine and, in case you didn't notice, its raining outside. Mousse is still in the hall, we couldn't find any hot water, so I came for you guys. I'll tell you everything after class."  
  
The teacher said, "Mr. Hibiki, is there a problem?"  
  
Ranma-Chan looked at Ryoga who was sitting with his eyes closed, as if he was concentrating and his face was bright red. At the teacher's voice, Ryoga slowly opened his eyes. "I...I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
"Well, why didn't you say something sooner?"  
  
Ryoga didn't answer, but Ranma-Chan knew the answer. Ryoga got lost walking down a hall with no doors. He couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. Ryoga could leave the room without someone or he might end up in Antarctica. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone there.   
  
Ranma-Chan took pity on Ryoga and jumped up. "Ma'am, I need to go the nurse's office, but I don't know the way. Can I have someone show me?" She looked expectantly at Ryoga, who sat there and didn't notice anything.  
  
"Well, I guess that would be all right." The teacher looked around, trying to decide who to send. All of the boys and several girls were raising their hands to get the privilege of taking Ranma-Chan.  
  
Ranma-Chan, still looking at Ryoga, who was still sitting there, and groaned. That pig boy was such a thick head. She went to Ryoga and grabbed his arm. "I'll have Ryoga show me the way." Ranma-Chan said, pulling Ryoga out of the room quickly. The rest of the class let out a disappointed sigh.   
  
Once out in the hall Ranma-Chan grumbled at Ryoga. "You just can't take a hint, can you?"  
  
Ryoga was by now walking funny and said in a hoarse voice. "You try holding it for six hours and see how well you think. I haven't had a chance to get to the bathroom today. You think I want to get lost in this mad house? You don't know what's been going on since you've been gone."  
  
Ranma-Chan was holding Ryoga's hand so they wouldn't get separated. If Ryoga tried on his own they probably wouldn't see him until Christmas. Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to have Ryoga get him some hot water from the guy's bathroom. "What do you mean?"  
  
The halls were thankfully empty, as Ranma-Chan didn't want anyone to see her holding Ryoga's hand. They might get the wrong idea. His friends from Nermia would understand, but these new people probably wouldn't.  
  
"It's Utena. The student council's been harassing her to no end and we've had to stick by her, even though she didn't want it. I'd stay away from her, Ranma. She's not happy with you.  
  
Besides that, we aren't allowed to spar in school anymore. That guy Touga's got it out for us and he got on to the dean. We have to spar at the dorm now and just do little practices in school." Ryoga snorted. "They said they didn't want anyone hurt. What's the point of fighting if no one gets hurt?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Ranma-Chan instinctively let go of Ryoga's hand and turned to see who call out. Realizing what she had done, Ranma-Chan groaned and looked around, but it was to late. Ryoga had vanished. God only knew where he was now. Well, Ranma-Chan could only hope that wherever he went, Ryoga found a bathroom. Poor guy.  
  
"Excuse me." It was that guy again, Touga.   
  
Ranma was really getting irritated him. "Don't you ever go to class?" The arrogant looking boy sauntered down the hall to her with one hand in his pocket. He smiled at Ranma-Chan charmingly. "I couldn't help but notice your ring earlier. Could you tell me where you got it?"  
  
Ranma-Chan looked at the rose ring on her finger. That was a surprising question. Still, her mom had said that the ring would shake things up at the school. "It was given to me. Why do you ask?"   
  
"I am afraid that we've made no proper introductions. Please, come to the rose garden after school is over and I'll introduce you to everyone." He reached out a hand to Ranma-Chan and would have touched her hair, but stopped at the last moment when Ranma-Chan narrowed her eyes and gave off the distinct impression that she would rip off Touga's hand if he touched her with it. "You're name's Ranko, right? I heard it earlier in class. That's a lovely name and you're as beautiful as your cousins."  
  
Ranma-Chan rolled her eyes. She would have rather listened to Kuno's babbling than this jerk. "I think we'll get to know each other quite well, Ranko." He left without anther word.  
  
Ranma-Chan stared after him and then heard the bell ring. The hall was filled with students changing classes when Ranma-Chan felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Ukyo along with Akane and Kuno.  
  
"Why were you talking with that idiot, Ranma?" Akane asked, apparently having seen them. "He's been giving us no end of grief since you left with Anthy."  
  
"He wanted to know where I got this ring." Ranma held out the ring for everyone to see. "Maybe we'd better compare notes."  
  
  
  
They all met in the backfield of the school for the lunch and told each other what had happened. Ranma was a boy again and Mousse was human thanks to hot water from the thermos Akane usually carried for them.  
  
After it was done everyone knew what had happened in the village and Ranma knew that Utena was depressed over losing Anthy and for some reason the people of the student council were bein horribly mean to her, but no one knew why and she wouldn't tell them. It would seem that Anthy was very important to the school.  
  
"By the way, Ranma," Akane told him. "You can't come to school as a guy any more."  
  
"What? Why not?"  
  
"Well, honey," Ukyo said while sharpening her spatulas. "You were gone for four weeks without permission. You've been expelled, at least as a guy. Now, you can get reregistered as Tendo Ranko."  
  
"What about Mousse?"  
  
"Mousse is going to have to spend his time as Moo-Moo Chan." Nabiki said. "He can help me out with his spare time."  
  
"With what?" Mousse asked suspiciously.  
  
Nabiki rubbed her hands together and got a greedy look in her eyes. "I have some debts to collect around here and it might help to persuade them if big strong amazon man come calling with his many swords." She smiled at Mousse. "You don't have anything else to do, right?"  
  
Ranma punched the ground. "I suppose you're right, Nabiki, but I really don't want the hassle. That Touga's being a pain since he saw me as a girl."  
  
Shampoo sniffed disdainfully. "Boy is pervert. Hit on everything in skirts. No trust him, Airen." She warned Ranma seriously. "He worse than Kuno."  
  
Kuno didn't seem to hear this.  
  
"Don't worry, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could comfortably spit a live rat." Ranma paused and then asked. "I suppose you've explained to Utena what's going on?"  
  
"Everything except where Anthy is." Kuno answered. "Methinks the lady does not approve entirely, but she grows used to reality. Aren't we missing someone?"  
  
"That's right." Ukyo said. "Where's Ryoga? Don't tell me he got lost again."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Yep. You know how he is, I'm sure he'll turn up soon. Maybe."  
  
  
Utena was depressed, so much that she'd started to skip classes unless the Nermia Wrecking Crew were there. They seemed convinced that she should just wait and that they would bring Anthy back to her. They promised her that Anthy was fine.  
  
But what good was she? Against several people who weren't even duelists she had lost her lady. A tear slid down Utena's face and she wiped it away quickly.  
  
It was lunch time and Utena, as usual, was walking around trying to think of new ways to find Anthy when she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Are you sure this is going to work?" It was Akane. "Taking Anthy to Cologne was a risky thing. The training is hard, or so Shampoo tells me."  
  
"She can do it. Even the old ghoul thinks that she has strength left." Utena's head lifted at that voice. It was Ranma!   
  
"OK, then that's settled. We'll call later and see how they're doing, but what about Utena?" That was the girl, Ukyo. "The poor girl's lost without Anthy."  
  
"She'll just have to deal with it." Ranma said firmly. "Anthy can't keep acting like that or she'll get walked all over. That jerk Touga wants to meet my other self this afternoon at some rose garden. He's got something to do with all this, I just know it."  
  
Utena leaned closer to the tree that hid her from Ranma and his friends to listen better. So...Touga was in on all this.  
  
There was general agreement among the friends about Touga. "We should all go." Mousse suggested.  
  
"Are you saying I can't take care of myself?!" Ranma demanded, hotly.  
  
"Of coarse not. But, he did say he had friends he wanted you to meet and you will be going as a rather pretty young girl."  
  
  
  
  
Touga and the other members of the student council were waiting in the rose garden. It was beginning to wilt from the lack of care Anthy gave to it.  
  
"Where is she?" Saionji asked irritably.  
  
"She'll come." Touga told his best friend confidently, smelling a bright red rose. "She has a rose ring, so she probably knows what's going on and she's related to Tendo Akane, one of the Nermia people. If nothing else, we can use her to find out what happened to Anthy and how to get her back."  
  
"Are you sure about this?" Juri asked doubtfully. "I don't know if we can just substitute someone as the Rose Bride. I had thought Anthy was the only one who could fill the position."  
  
"Since End of the World has told us no different, I don't see why we can't." Miki added. "He would tell us if we were doing it wrong, wouldn't he?" Miki was leaning on one of the glass walls and scribbling notes in his notebook. His trusty stopwatch was hanging on his neck.  
  
"I still don't know what's taking her so long." Saionji griped. He hated being put out. "She was supposed to be here almost ten minutes ago."  
  
"You're lucky I came at all." Everyone turned to find the small girl standing in the doorway. She walked passed them to stand in front of Saionji, though the top of her head only reached the middle of his chest, she didn't looked very intimidated. "I'll be as late as I please. Don't make me angry, jerk, or I'll pound you into pudding."  
  
"And if she doesn't we will." Ukyo said. The rest of the Nermia crew followed Ranma-Chan in, minus Ryoga who was still lost, and they all had their weapons ready for battle.  
  
Saionji's eyes met Akane's and he started to sweat. He was doing better though. For the longest time after he came back from Juban, every time he saw Akane he would scream like a little girl and run. Saionji stepped slightly behind Touga.  
  
"I asked only you here, Ranko." Touga reminded her politely, but with a hint of steel.  
  
"My friends come with me." She glared at him. "They all stay or I leave."   
  
One of the girls, Nabiki began examining them. She looked at them all closely from head to toe.  
  
Juri snapped. "Is something wrong?" She didn't like the way that girl was looking at them.  
  
"No." Nabiki smiled. "Nothing at all. Don't worry, Ranko." She said to the red head. "I'll have the stuff in the morning."  
  
"What stuff?" Miki asked innocently.  
  
Nabiki gave a sweet smile and patted the younger boy on the head. She liked him. "Black mail information, of coarse."  
  
"What?!" The entire student council demanded.  
  
"Black mail. Let's just say it's for insurance. I don't know what's going on here, but you're all fools if you think I'm going to pass up the opportunity to lose money on this scheme."  
  
"We have little in our pasts that would interest you, Miss Tendo." Juri told her pertly.  
  
"Really?" Nabiki walked over to her and whispered into her ear. Juri turned bright red and then pale from whatever Nabiki had told her.  
  
"You wouldn't tell." Juri said not sounding very sure of herself.  
  
"Of coarse I wouldn't, for the right price."   
  
Touga ran a hand through his hair and smiled, completely confident again. "That won't be necessary. We just want to talk with Ranko. Alone."  
  
"Sorry." Nabiki waved her hand. "That won't be possible. Talk or we all leave."  
She had never been one for small talk when it came to business and this smelled like business.   
  
Touga considered his options. He had very few. "Very well. That ring you're wearing," He pointed to Ranko's ring. "Do you know what it means?"  
  
"No."  
  
"It means that you are destined to become the new Rose Bride." Touga said grandly. "You are greatly honored and will help to change the world. Since Anthy, our last Rose Bride has...vanished," He gave the Nermia crew a cautious look, guessing what had happened. "We are in need of a new girl to be the Rose Bride until Anthy is returned. You are obviously the chosen one."  
  
Ranma-Chan stared. "Rose Bride?"  
  
"Yes." Touga seized her tiny hand and held it gently, not noticing Ranma-Chan's look of disgust. "You are the Rose Bride and we shall hold a duel to see who you are to belong to. We will all be there, including Utena, and we will duel to find out who wins you. You will do as the winner commands you and..." Touga got no further as he couldn't be heard over the howling laughter of the Nermia crew.  
  
Akane was literally on the floor, holding her stomach, she was laughing so hard. Kuno and Nabiki were leaning against each other so they wouldn't fall over. Shampoo and Ukyo were laughing like hyenas and Mousse was hiding his face in the sleeve of his robe so his laugher wouldn't be seen.  
  
Ranma-Chan was not laughing. She glared at Touga. "You made my cousin be some freaking Rose Bride? Is that why she was acting brainless? What does this Rose Bride thing involve? Stealing the brain? What's with the dueling crap?"  
  
"Your cousin? Are you related to Satome Ranma, then?"  
  
Ranma-Chan realized his blunder, but didn't really care at this point.  
  
"You think Ranko's going to let someone own her? Command her?" Akane asked getting off the floor with difficulty.  
  
"Of coarse." Saionji answered. "It is the duty of the Rose Bride to do all her fiancee wishes."  
  
Ranma-Chan let out a terrible scream. "I've heard that word enough to last a life time. I don't need anymore fiancees! My life is complicated enough as it is."  
  
"How many do you have?" Saionji asked, curious.  
  
"Last time I counted, three, not counting the psycho witch who's chasing me or the dozen or so extra my pop hasn't told me about yet. Plus this weirdo I can't seem to get rid of, but he's not official." She pointed to Kuno.  
  
"How on Earth did you get engaged to so many people at once?" Juri asked.  
  
"My pop sold me for food most of my life." Ranma-Chan answered dryly.  
Akane was laughing again and muttering something about Ranko letting herself be owned. Yeah, right. In a million years, maybe.  
  
"Look," Ranma-Chan crossed her arms. "I'm having nothing to do with this rubbish. Go away and leave my people and I alone. You will regret irritating me."  
  
Nabiki grabbed Ranma-Chan's arm and pulled her aside. "Guys, watch them." Nabiki snapped at the others. "I want to talk with Ranko a minute." They walked several paces away until the student council couldn't hear them. "Ranma, didn't your mother say she wanted you to shake things up here?"  
  
"Well, yeah. So what?"  
  
"So, they're expecting the Rose Bride to be meek and obedient. Give them a shock and be yourself. I don't know what's going on, but surely as the Rose Bride you can figure out what's been going on and what they did to Anthy, right?"  
  
Ranma though. "That makes sense."  
  
"Besides, if they want someone so badly they'll go after any girl, they probably picked Anthy at Random." Nabiki explained. "We can have some fun with them, I'll bet."  
  
"Nabiki, this isn't a game." Ranma-Chan scowled.  
  
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma, you take life to seriously. Everything is a game and I play to win. Don't worry about it." She gave a shark like smile. "Besides, you've still got your share of the rent to pay. Remember?"  
  
Ranma got worried. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Kuno has plenty of yen to pay with and I've been paying for Akane and myself. Shampoo, Mousse, and Ukyo are using the profits from their restaurants to pay. That leaves only you and guess who's been paying for you."  
  
Ranma looked horrified. "You...you don't mean I owe you money?!"  
  
"That's right, Ranma. You owe me big. Take this part in the game and I'll consider the amusement I'll get payment enough."  
  
Now Ranma frowned. "That's not like you, Nabiki, taking a trade instead of yen. Why are you really doing this?"  
  
"Because what they did to Anthy they could do to any girl. It could have been Akane that they took and turned into a weak willed puppet." She looked at Akane in her fighting stance. "I don't want to take the chance that that will ever happen to Akane, for that matter Ukyo or Shampoo. They don't deserve such a fate. Neither, I expect, did your cousin. If we can stop them now, we don't have to worry about it after we leave."  
  
Ranma-Chan mulled this over. Maybe there was more to Nabiki than he'd thought. "All right." Ranma-Chan sauntered back over to the student council. "I've been talked into it, but I'll do it my way, got it?"  
  
There was silence a moment before Touga slowly nodded. He needed a Rose Bride for the duels to continue, though how they would do it without the sword of Dios, he hadn't quite figured out yet. Besides, how much trouble could it be? She was only a girl.  
  
Nabiki stepped forward. "Then allow me to make the formal introductions. Student council, meet your new Rose Bride, Tendo Ranko. Also, this is her honor guard." Nabiki waved a sweeping hand toward the Nermia crew.  
  
"Honor guard?" Juri said. "She doesn't need an honor guard."  
  
"Oh, yes she does. We saw what you did to Anthy. It won't happen to my client."  
  
"Client?" Miki was very confused. "What's going on? I thought I knew all the rules."  
  
"I am Miss Ranko's business manager and will handle anything she does. If you'll excuse us, Miss Ranko will want to prepare for her time as the Rose Bride until we bring Anthy back."  
  
This took the student council by surprise. "What do you mean, you'll bring her back? You took her?" Touga was still surprised by the blatant confession.  
  
"Of coarse, I'm surprised Utena didn't tell you. We took her, for...shall we say, training in women's lib? She'll be, I expect, a little different when she returns."  
  
"Excuse me." Kuno said. "Did I hear something about duels earlier? The winner of the duels wins the lovely Ranko as a fiancee? My darling Pig tailed goddess," Kuno was instantly at Ranma-Chan's side. "This means we can be together for I shall defeat these common rabble without effort!"  
  
"Oh, no." Ranma-Chan muttered, looking worried for the first time and cringing away from Kuno.  
  
"Well, yes, that's true," Touga said. "But you can only duel if you have a Rose Ring." He showed his own to Kuno.  
  
Kuno shrugged. "I have one."  
  
"You what?"  
  
"My dearly departed mother gave one to me on her deathbed." Kuno pulled out a chain he wore around his neck and on the chain was a Rose Ring.  
  
Ranma-Chan wanted to scream. She was going to get another official fiancee along with Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo as she was absolutely certain Kuno could beat the collective ass of the student council. How could he tell his mom that one of his fiancee's was a guy?  
  
  
  
"Where are we going?" Ranma-Chan asked. She was walking down the street with Nabiki and Akane. The meeting with the student council had broken up rather quickly after Kuno saying that he was retiring to the Kendo dojo to prepare for his winning of the fire haired goddess.  
  
"We're going shopping." Akane answered blissfully. "You need new clothes for the duels. Unless you want to wear what Anthy had to wear." She remembered how Utena had described as Anthy's outfit. Ranma-Chan definitely shouldn't appear dressed like that.  
  
"This shop should be fine." Nabiki pointed to a normal looking store.   
  
Akane shrugged. "I have a better place in mind, Nabiki. Someplace more...interesting."  
  
  
  
Nabiki stood in the middle of the store Akane had led them to, blushing bright red. How did her prude of a little sister know about this place? She asked herself as a pair of barely dressed women walked past her with tattoos and rings in every part of their body.  
  
Ranma-Chan and Akane were giggling and looking through the racks of lace and leather. There were chains and the most outrageous clothes Nabiki had ever seen plus some things that even Nabiki wouldn't mention in polite conversation.  
  
"Akane," She said. "How often do you come here?"  
  
Her sister shrugged. "Every now and again. They have the nicest things here. Oh, Ranma, this would look so cute on you!" She held up a bright pink bra with steel spikes on the shoulder straps.  
  
"It's great!" Ranma sounded actually excited. "How would it look with the dog collar, though? I really like the dog collar." She held up a black leather dog collar with metal studs.  
  
"It'll be fine."  
  
Nabiki was getting a glimpse into Ranma and Akane's lives she had never guessed at and wondered if they came to these places often.  
  
  
  
Ranma-Chan was told that there would be a duel during lunch. They had sent Miki over to tell her since she seemed less likely to hurt him. In fact, Miki got on quite well with almost everyone.  
  
"So," Ranma-Chan said. "What am I supposed to do during this duel thing?"  
  
"Well, Anthy would take the Sword of Dios from her chest and give it to the champion. Then the two people would duel and the winner claims the Rose Bride."  
  
Ranma took a drink of water. "That's going to change." Ranma-Chan informed him. "No one owns me."  
  
"Well, I'm one of the duelists so I'll see you up there. I hope everything works out all right." Miki waved pleasantly as he walked away with a smile. He had earlier been helping Ranma-Chan with her homework and was, he said, tutoring Ryoga in math. Miki's sweet smile had endeared him to all of the Nermia crew as it had most of the people in the school.  
  
Ranma-Chan watched Miki for a moment and then turned to Mousse. "I really don't want the kid to get hurt. He doesn't seem like he could out fight Nabiki, let alone those jerks he hangs out with. I'm gonna tell Kuno to just knock him out early as possible, so he won't get to badly hurt."  
  
"Maybe there is more to him than we can see." Mousse suggested. "He may be their greatest fighter."  
  
"Maybe. I just can't figure the kid out. He's got so much charisma even Nabiki likes him. He's smart, nice, polite, and a gentleman with the girls."  
  
"From what Utena tells me," Mousse added. "The only girl he has eyes for is Anthy."  
  
Ranma considered a moment. "So, Utena likes him, too?"  
  
"Yeah. She has a very high opinion of him from what she's told me."  
  
Ranma-Chan nodded curtly. "Fine. Then we'll make sure Miki doesn't get hurt. My cousin won't be saddled with someone she doesn't like. He understands and accepts the way I intend to be while I have to do this thing and he'll be good to Anthy if she comes back and wants to keep doing this Rose Bride thing. We can arrange a draw between him and Utena and then let Anthy decide how to proceed from there."  
  
"Sounds good to me, but how are we going to convince Kuno not to win. I don't think Miki can take him and you know Kuno wouldn't deliberately lose. It goes against honor."  
  
"None of them can beat Kuno, we all know that. Compared to him, they're all feeble. We'll think of something." Ranma-Chan was very sure she could out smart Kuno. The Kuno clan was not marked for its intelligence.  
  
  
  
  
Ranma-Chan went no where without her honor guard, though it was a bit ridiculous. She was stronger than all of them and was more likely to protect them than the other way around. Still, Nabiki was the mastermind behind it all and she wanted to surprise everyone.   
  
Thus it happened that Nabiki got business started in Ohtori Academy.  
  
CLICK!  
  
CRACK!  
  
Ranma-Chan was in the bathroom when she heard the noise and turned at the sounds and was surprised to find Nabiki holding Kuno's bokten in both hands with an icy expression on her face. Three girls stood with shocked expression and a broken camera at their feet.  
  
Ranma-Chan got out of the cold water op the bathtub and walked up to Nabiki, apparently not concerned that she was buck-naked. "What's going on?" Ranma-Chan had thought she was alone in the bathroom, but apparently, she was wrong. Jeeze, couldn't she get away from the crazies for just one minute?  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ranko. It doesn't concern you." Then Nabiki looked at the girls. "Ladies, we have things to discuss. First thing's first. I own the copy right on Ranko and Ranma. You will not take pictures or exploit for any reason. That's my business."  
  
"You can't stop us." One of the girls said defiantly. "We work for Nanami and she's the sister of the student council president."  
  
"Do I look like I care?" Nabiki bent down and picked up the Polaroid pictures that were quickly developing. She raised an eyebrow and gave a half smile. "Nice pictures. I suppose you have practice in taking candid porn pictures of young girls?"  
  
The three girls began sweating and suspected that they were up against someone they couldn't fight.   
  
"What?!" Ranma-Chan demanded and took the picture. Her eyes bugged out of her head when she saw herself in the pictures completely naked while she bathed. Her eye began twitching.   
  
"This could look bad if it got in the local newspapers." Nabiki suggested.  
  
"The newspapers?" One of the girls said, as if the idea never occurred to her.  
  
"Sure. Can't you see the headline? SCHOOL GIRLS PROVEN PREVERTED. YOUNG GIRL ABUSED AND ASSULTED BY OLDER GIRLS AT OHTORI ACADEMY. I'm sure your student council would approve of that, don't you agree?"  
  
Ranma-Chan shouted, "You are NOT selling pictures of me to the newspapers!"  
  
Nabiki shrugged. "Relax Ranko. It's not like it would be the first time."  
  
"What!"  
  
"It's not like that!" One of them protested as they ignored the steaming Ranma-Chan. "It's just business! Nanami told us to do it!"  
  
"Don't worry, I understand business. You can consider this a hostile take over."  
  
They looked dumbfounded.  
  
"Let me put it simply, girls. You work for me now, not Nanami." Nabiki took the photo from Ranma-Chan's hand. "This is my evidence, don't try to out think me, girls, from what I've seen it wouldn't exactly be a fair fight. Now, come with me."  
  
They left Ranma still fuming in the bathroom. She had hoped that the days of people taking X-rated pictures of her were over. Now, Nabiki would be able to open business in another school. She sighed and picked up her new outfit Akane had helped her to pick out this afternoon. She had to say one thing about Akane. The girl had great style.  
  
The first duel was tonight and Miki was going to lead them to it.  
  
  
  
  
Ranma-Chan was wearing her own version of the Rose Bride's outfit. Her bright red hair was loose down her back and she was wearing the most daring outfit ever seen at this school.  
  
She wore black leather. Black leather knee boots with four-inch stiletto heels, Black leather shorts that were very short, and a vest made of black leather. Ranma-Chan had also gone out and let Nabiki shop for her, which resulted in the leather dog collar with steel spikes she wore on her throat.  
  
All in all, she was most impressive. Kuno nearly fainted when he saw her. So much for him dueling. He stood drooling with a nosebleed. "My goddess." He whispered. Nabiki had to lead him by the hand to where the duel was to be.  
  
"Where is this?" Akane asked. They stood at an elaborate door.   
  
"This is the entrance to the arena." Miki told them. "You have to use the rings to open the door." Miki showed them by using his own ring and they watch in silence the long sequence of getting to the arena.  
  
Shampoo looked up the immense staircase with the flat top of the arena and nodded approval. In her opinion, if they had to do this to protect Anthy's interests, then they should do it with style.   
  
"Wow." Ukyo said. She was suitably impressed.  
  
Miki looked at her with slight annoyance. "Wow? Is that all you can say?"  
  
"What else is there to say, sweetie?" Ukyo asked. She wasn't much for pretty words.  
  
Ranma-Chan was not impressed. "Let's go." She picked up Akane.  
  
Kuno picked up Nabiki who didn't so much as argue and put her arms around his neck.  
  
Shampoo picked up Miki. "What are you doing?" Miki demanded, surprised that the pretty girl could lift him so easily.  
  
"You want to keep up, yes?"  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"Then just hang on." Akane advise. "We're not as good as the others and they're going to take us up quickly. We don't want to waste time climbing all the stairs, do we?"  
  
Miki could hardly argue with that, so when Shampoo jumped, he just hung on. They jumped from level to level of the stairway; it took them seconds to do what it took others nearly an hour to do.  
  
Miki held on for dear life, not noticing he was holding all the wrong areas that a man should touch on an amazon woman who was not his wife. Shampoo did notice, and to her credit, she did not drop him. In her mind, he was still young and very innocent. He didn't mean anything by it. Still, after this duel nonsense was over, she would have to teach him some manners. The Amazon way.  
  
They reached the arena and Ranma-Chan, Shampoo, and Kuno set down the people they carried. Everyone was ready for battle, though Miki assured them that everyone would fight fair, Ranma-Chan was more than a little convinced that Miki was a bit innocent about the people he kept company with. In Ranma-Chan's opinion, Miki was to good for the rest of the student council.  
  
Everyone was there and Nabiki was in her favorite place. The spot light. "Let's see if we all understand the rules." She said to the student council. "Only those with the Rose Rings can fight, two people fight at a time, and the winner goes on to the next round. The winner amongst you goes on to fight Utena."  
  
"We don't fight." Touga said stiffly. "We duel."  
  
"Whatever." Nabiki waved it aside as a matter of complete indifference. "Since Ranko is the most affected, she'll chose who will fight first."  
  
The student council protested at this. They were used to deciding among themselves how to do things. To have a stranger come in to come and tell them what to do was unthinkable, even if it was the person most affected, as Nabiki said.  
  
"Silence!" A dozen chains erupted from Mousse's sleeves, shot passed the student council and imbedded themselves in the wall behind them. Each chain was three inches thick and had spikes on the end. The student council was stunned into silence just as Mousse had demanded. "You talk to much. This is Ranko's decision. Deal with it."  
  
"Now," Ranma-Chan said thoughtfully. "Miki said we need a magic sword, right? How's this?" Ranma-Chan reached up to her chest and said, "Power of Diablo, source of my strength. Bring forth your tool to grace my hand." From out of her chest there appeared a hilt. Ranma-Chan grabbed the hilt and pulled. From out of her chest came a long sword, made of black steel. The edges of the sword were serrated and there were runes carved into the blade. The hilt was simple, cast to look like a coiled snake.  
  
She stood there and was surrounded in the glow of a red aura. Touga was beginning to have second thoughts about this. When Ranma-Chan held the sword, her aura was transferred to it and it looked like the sword was on fire, much the same as Anthy's sword of Dios did when she kissed it. The only difference was that the light from this sword was not confined within the sword.   
  
"You've forgotten me." Everyone turned at the voice. It was Utena. She looked thinner with worry for Anthy and there were dark circles under here eyes. She did have a right to be there, however. "I am still the champion and you have to defeat me for the Rose Bride, even if the actual Bride has changed."  
  
Utena, dressed in her usual school clothes, moved to stand beside Ranma-Chan.  
  
"Are you certain you belong here, Utena?" Saionji asked snidely. "After all, you couldn't guard the last Rose Bride." He brushed a lock of his curly green hair out of his eyes.  
  
"Like you'd have done any better, piss ant." Ranma-Chan snarled. "Leave her alone. At least she liked Anthy enough to be sad when she was gone. The rest of you jerks didn't shed a tear. She's the one who deserves Anthy." Ranma-Chan turned to Utena. "You don't have to fight, you know. I know you have no reason to help us."  
  
Utena didn't smile or even look at Ranma-Chan. "You don't deserve my help, but I'll do this for Anthy. Whoever wins you will win her when she comes back. I don't want Anthy to have to follow one of them around. We'll have to fight with regular swords since we don't have the sword of Dios." She apparently didn't arrive in time to see Ranma-Chan pull out his sword.  
  
"Will this do?" Ranma handed over his sword to Utena. She looked at it surprised and felt the raw power from it. "Where did you get this?"  
  
"That old thing? Anthy and I used to play with them when we were little. I get it the same place Akane keeps her mallet and Mousse keeps all his toys." The student council looked amazed. "My mom taught us how to do it."  
  
Ranma-Chan considered how Utena held the sword and a brilliant idea came to her. A sly smile spread across her face and she put a hand out to stop Utena from going to challenge the student council. A plan had just occurred.  
  
"I want Kuno to fight first." Ranma-Chan said. "He's gonna fight Saionji."  
  
Kuno stepped forward. "My fiery goddess, I would die for you, that you know in your heart. Do you so wish me to win you? My heart over flows." He would have gloomped Ranma-Chan, but she easily moved out of the way.  
  
"Cool it, Kuno. This is for Anthy, remember. We need Miki or Utena to win this. I want to set up them." Ranma-Chan said this loud enough for everyone to hear. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to hide. "Just hurt the rest of them and we'll be fine. You drop out when it's Miki's turn and he'll win by default."  
  
Kuno looked insulted. "Drop out? You mean me to lose purposely?"  
  
"It's for a good cause, Kuno. You want to help Anthy right?"  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"Good, then bow out like a gentle man after your job is done."  
  
Saionji, in all his arrogant glory, approached them. "I think you're jumping the gun a little, don't you? After all, you're assuming that you can beat me. I happen to be the captain of the Kendo club."  
  
Kuno barely spared him a glance. "I KNOW I can best you, commoner. I, too, am the captain of my school's Kendo club. The difference between the two clubs, is that we take our art seriously."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Saionji demanded, insulted. "We are the best at Ohtori Academy!"  
  
"Only because you have never had the privilege of facing Furiken High." Kuno sniffed and turned his head to the side with a slight smile on his face. "In the past few weeks I have watched your team practice. I say it is shameful!"  
  
Saionji raised his sword. "Do you fight as well as you brag?"  
  
"Better." Kuno took the rose ring off his necklace and slipped it onto his finger and Utena gave him Ranma-Chan's sword and Kuno smiled malevolently. "Let us test you, boy." Kuno held the magnificent sword up, ready for combat.  
  
During their testosterone induced pissing match, Miki had quietly walked to Ranma-Chan's side and whispered to her. "You have to pin the roses on their chests. When one gets the rose knocked off, they lose the match. That way, no one gets hurt."  
  
Ranma-Chan gave him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? That's it? No blood, broken bones or nothing? Weird." A thought occurred to Ranma. "Where am I supposed to get Roses?"   
  
A hideous laugh filled the arena and Ranma-Chan groaned.  
  
"Give me a break." Akane mumbled sourly, as she recognized the laugh. It was very distinctive. "Can't we get away from her, just this once?"  
  
Shampoo gave a worried little 'eep'. "Is crazy girl!" She exclaimed and got her weapons ready.  
  
Indeed, Kuno Kodachi, the black rose of Saint Habetiki High leaped into the arena wearing only her green leotard and twirling her infamous silk whip. She raised a delicate, lady-like hand to her mouth and gave another of her horrible laughs. Even Kuno, her own brother, winced with the pain that assaulted his ears.  
  
"Did I hear something about roses?" She asked, her voice, when she wasn't laughing, was rich and refined, just as she was. As usual, the air around them was littered with her black rose petals blowing in the wind.  
  
"We need two different colored roses." Touga told the strange, beautiful girl as he wondered who she was. These odd occurrences were becoming almost normal since the Furiken students had arrived. She sauntered over to him and then turned abruptly to glare at Ranma-Chan.  
  
"Insolent wretch!" She snapped. "Everywhere I go, you are there, making my life difficult. Oh, my poor Ranma," She clasped her hands to her heart dramatically. "To have to share his grand, honored name with you!" If looks could kill Ranma-Chan would be six feet under. As looks could not kill, Ranma-Chan gave her a tired look.   
  
"Look, we're in the middle of something important here. Can this wait until the duel is over?"  
  
"In fact, I came to help." Kodachi said, suddenly, suspiciously sweet. She walked to Saionji and smiled up at him, Saionji assumed that his massive good looks were simply distracting the lady. In fact, it was his massive ego that Kodachi was using.  
  
"Dear sir, I was wondering if I could somehow help in your battle with my brother." She fluttered her lashes.  
  
"Why would you want your brother to lose?" Saionji asked.  
  
"Because," Her voice turned vicious, "It would make that slut of a red haired witch" She pointed at Ranma-Chan, "a slave to another and she would be forced to stay here forever away from my darling Ranma."   
  
"Now wait a minute!" Ranma-Chan objected. "How did you even know about all this going on? You don't go to this school!"  
  
Ranma-Chan was stopped abruptly when he heard innocent whistling behind him. Nabiki was standing with a smile on her face and counting out a large wad of yen.  
  
"A girl's gotta make a living." She told them all, not feeling at all guilty.  
  
"Is this all a money making scheme for you, Nabiki?" Akane asked her sister, even though she really knew the answer all ready.  
  
"Of coarse it is, but it'll work out for you all, too. I wanted Kodachi's money. You wanted roses. Kodachi always travels with roses." Nabiki smiled. "Everyone's happy."  
  
Kodachi pulled out a bouquet of black roses and chose one carefully before walking toward Kuno. "Brother, dear, won't you wear my rose?"  
  
Kuno wisely back away and held up the sword in defense. "I think not, sister."  
  
"What's the big deal?" Juri asked. "It's only a rose."  
  
"You've never smelled Kodachi's roses, before." Ukyo commented, knowing all to well that most of them were drugged in the same manner her food was.  
  
Saionji, never to be left out of a conversation, added, "How did you get in the arena? Do you also have a rose ring?"  
  
Kodachi looked confused. "Rose Ring? Whatever are you talking about? I followed him." She pointed to little P-Chan, with Ryoga's yellow and black bandanna tied around his neck. "The horrid creature is never far from Tendo Akane, so I followed him after buying some information from Miss Tendo."  
  
P-Chan couldn't take his eyes off Kodachi, obviously terrified.  
  
Mousse patted P-Chan in an understanding fashion. "I feel for you, my friend." In fact they all knew that being trailed by Kodachi was a horrible experience.   
  
"Where've you been?" Ranma-Chan asked the little black piglet.  
  
P-Chan squealed angrily, but of coarse no one could understand him. Akane, seeing her beloved pet, ran to him eagerly.   
  
Nanami, now that she had a rose ring she had a right to be there, was walking to her brother, Touga, with a pot of nice hot tea for after the match. Suddenly, she saw Nabiki counting money and sniffed. This was the girl who had subverted her three spies...er, friends. This was why she was getting so little information. Nanami was watching Nabiki instead of where she was going and she ran straight into Akane who was now holding P-Chan.   
  
"Oh, no!" Nanami cried.  
  
Ranma-Chan watched the hot water sail at her and even she couldn't move in time.   
  
Ranma-Chan became Ranma infront of everyone, still dressed in the dominatrix outfit Akane had given him. Ranma slowly looked down at himself. "Oh, Shit." He mumbled.  
  
Everyone stared.  
  
P-Chan had now become Ryoga and Akane was holding a stark naked Ryoga in her arms. She had a glassy look in her eyes and was staring into space with a shocked expression.  
  
"Hey, man," Ranma whispered to Ryoga. "If I was you, I'd get going before she wakes up from the shock."  
  
Ryoga wiped away the slight nosebleed and nodded in agreement. He darted away and vanished before he'd gotten to the edge of the arena's platform.  
  
Kodachi was looking at her beloved Ranma in a whole new light and, wept. "My darling Ranma, how has that witch ensnare you? Obviously this is some evil spell to drive me to madness and wreck our happiness! That witch wishes me to believe you are the same person."  
  
Kuno groaned and shouted at his thick-witted sister. "They are the same person, you moron! He was cursed at the Jusenkyo training grounds and changes into a girl with cold water and back to a man with hot water. Everyone Nermia knows that by now!"  
  
They all stared at Kuno in disbelief. "Well, we thought you didn't know it, either." Ranma said.  
  
"I'm not as dumb as I appear." Kuno sniffed.  
  
Nabiki broke into the conversation. "You remember that first day of school you were here, Ranma? Well, I got to school first and started to talk to Kuno. He's known it all from day one."  
  
Ranma frowned at Kuno. "So why have you been after me if you know I'm a guy?"  
  
Kuno leered at Ranma and was actually drooling. "Because you are both my goddess and my god in one body! I will have you, my darling!" Ranma jumped back away from Kuno. This was just to weird!  
  
Kuno turned his attention back to Saionji.  
  
Kodachi, as if nothing had happened, pinned one of the black roses on Saionji's chest. Kuno pulled out a red rose from no where and pinned it on himself. Kodachi stayed with The Ohtori student council to show where her loyalty lay, even though she was now helping her darling Ranma to become property to someone else. The thought of entering the match herself was beginning to appeal to her and stealing a ring wouldn't be that hard. To legally own her beloved Ranma, what bliss!  
  
Kuno waited until Saionji lunged at him first. The Nermia crew were all confident in Kuno's ability, except Ranma who never wanted to underestimate an opponent. Drat, he thought, I can't believe I'm rooting for Kuno. Then Ranma pulled at part of the outfit he was wearing. This thing is killing me! He thought with a groan. It pinched in all the wrong places.  
  
All this time Ranma had thought Kuno was a joke. Heck, even Akane routinely beat him with her bare hands. Now, he wasn't sure he could take Kuno head on. Kuno had obviously been holding back when he was fighting Ranma (a fact that angered Ranma to no end) and Ranma had an urge to take him on for real. Kuno was devastating and had apparently not been just bragging when he told people he was the best. In his defense, Saionji was very good. Very, very good, and against an ordinary duelist, he would have won most likely.  
  
The only things that stopped him was Kuno's absolute devotion to his art. Kuno, with any sword in his hand, was unstoppable.   
  
The duel was over in minutes and it was a very good match, but with a predictable ending. Kuno won. Ranma-Chan had been able to tell that Kuno was just playing with Saionji, letting him win a little and then showing him who the master of Kendo was.   
  
"Multi-stike!" Kuno yelled when he was tired of this game. His special technique defeated Saionji quickly.  
  
Saionji's sword broke under Kuno's assault and one of the splinters of the sword headed straight for Kodachi. Ever nimble, she dodged out of the way easily, but landed on her stomach on the ground. She started to get up, only to find a hand ready to help her.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
Miki, with his innocent eyes and soft blue hair was looking at her worriedly. Hearts danced in Kodachi's eyes as she let him help her up. Kodachi was nearly a head taller than the younger boy, but he had caught her heart with his simple kindness.  
  
He is quite the opposite of my darling Ranma, Kodachi thought. Not so muscular or rugged, Miki was soft spoken and had a keen intelligence. 'They will make a fine pair for me. After all, if my brother can have two loves, then why can I not?'  
  
Out loud she said, "I'm fine, thank you sweet sir. And what is your name?" She all ready knew it of coarse, Nabiki had sold her all the information about everyone here, except her special black mail files. Kodachi just hadn't expected the boy to be so good looking.  
  
Miki started to sweat, not quite understanding what was going on. "Er...I'm Miki."  
  
Kodachi sighed dramatically. "Miki. A lovely name. I am Kuno Kodachi, my sweet."  
  
Miki turned bright red at 'my sweet.' And started to back away, not sure where he could run to.  
  
"Oh, that was good." Touga said, his voice mildly amused. "I hadn't thought you would do so well, but I admit to being wrong. Perhaps we will have to watch our selves in the fight for the new Rose Bride." He gave male Ranma a curious look. "I would be interested in hearing how this all happened. Are you a boy or a girl?"  
  
"I'm a man, damnit!" Ranma threw a frustrated fist in the air. "I was just cursed a little."  
  
"Cursed a little? How do you get just a little cursed?"  
  
Mousse stepped forward. "Don't make fun until you know the whole story.".  
  
Shampoo glared at him. "Is more of us cursed than you know."  
  
Touga looked at the shapely Amazon. "Do you turn into a boy?"  
  
"No. Shampoo turns into other thing."  
  
Touga, always impressed with himself, slid over to Shampoo and almost succeeded in wrapping an arm around her. "Would you show me what you can turn into. In private." He said suggestively.  
  
Mousse screamed and threw chains at someone who would dare to say such things to his sweet innocent Shampoo. Unfortunately, as usual, Mousse wasn't wearing his glasses, and managed to catch a furious Ukyo with his chains.  
  
Touga laughed outloud at Mousse's incompetence. Until Ranma slid Mousse's thick glasses down off his forehead and slipped away without a word. Mousse focused on Touga with a truly Amazon fury.   
  
Touga lay in a crumpled heap and, for once, Shampoo was proud of Mousse.  
  
  
  
  
They all agreed to meet the next night to continue the matches after Touga had gotten over his shock and could stop mumbling incoherently.  
  
  
  
The next morning-  
  
  
  
The teachers had all called an assembly. "To deal with some more, disruptive students, we have decided to hire more experienced disciplinarians." One of the teachers said. "Please welcome our new co-dean and our newest student advisor."  
  
Ranma-Chan fell to the ground when she saw the new teachers.  
  
"Aloha, students!" A strange looking man with a Hawaiian shirt and a pineapple in one hand and an electric razor in the other hand shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Good morning everyone." A chirpy little girl with long brown hair said with a smile.  
  
Principal Kuno and Miss Hinako. Could things get any worse?  
  
"Sweet-O!"  
  
The whole of the Nermia crew fainted as they watched a small ball of a man in a purple suit jump over the assembled teachers and run off, leaving Utena and the whole student council staring and wondering what the big deal was.   
  
  
Utena sat in class and couldn't help but stare at the little girl sitting at the teacher's desk. Most of the other students were working diligently, even, surprisingly, the Nermia crew. They never once met the girl's eyes or spoke out of turn. This, for Utena who had seen their horrible behavior and tempers, was shocking. Ranko, the new student Touga had picked to be Anthy's replacement, seemed especially weary of Miss Hinako and kept looking at the girl out of the corner of her eyes.  
  
Miss Hinako had to be a joke, Utena decided. She could not be more than eight years old, maybe nine. As far as Utena could tell, while the class was working on its own, Miss Hinako was coloring with her crayons. Why did they all seem afraid of her?  
  
Utena sighed and looked out the window. Ranko had promised to let her call Anthy, just to make sure she was all right at lunch. She just couldn't wait. Utena's thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone poke her in the back.  
  
It was Ranko and, without taking her eyes of Miss Hinako, whispered. "Don't goof off."  
  
"What?" Utena whispered back.  
  
"Just do your work. You don't want to make Miss Hinako mad. Trust me."  
  
"But...I don't understand. Look at Touga, he isn't doing any work anymore than he usually does."  
  
It was true that Touga was lounging with his feet up on his desk and flipping though a copy of GQ.  
  
Ranko smirked. "That's only because Miss Hinako hasn't noticed him." Ranko winked ominously as she added, "Yet."   
  
Utena was about to ask what she meant when she found out for herself.  
  
Miss Hinako jumped up from the chair, where she was sitting on a telephone book to boost her up, and pointed at Touga. "Mr. Touga! Why aren't you doing your work?" She demanded in her high pitched voice.  
  
Touga looked up with lazy eyes. "I really don't want to and I don't have to. If you have any questions, just go see the dean. He'll fill you in on all the special rules about the student council members. One rule is that we don't do work if we don't want to."  
  
Miss Hinako was nearly speechless with this. Nearly.  
  
"Why you...you...you...DELIQUENT!!!!!!"  
  
Ranko was giggling now and said to Utena. "Watch this. He's gonna get it!"  
  
The tiny girl whipped out a small coin with a hole in the center and aimed it at Touga who was, at best, mildly amused. Ranko was almost beside herself with anticipation as was the whole Nermia crew.  
  
"Happo ten yen fire burst!" Miss Hinako shouted.  
  
Touga lost his smile when the vortex came out of the coin and trapped him. The next thing Utena knew was that Miss Hinako was no longer a child, but a full grown woman, and a very beautiful woman at that, with her modest brown dress now skin tight and to short in all the right places.  
  
Utena's mouth fell open and she looked to see where Touga was. He was no longer at his desk, but was paper thin and wafting around the room like a fall leave caught in the wind. The Ohtori students stared in abject horror.  
  
The Nermia students fell on the floor laughing.  
  
"Is there a reason why the rest of you aren't studying?" Miss Hinako asked sharply.  
  
The Nermia students were instantly silent and at their desks as if nothing had happened.  
  
Akane whispered to Ranko. "Are you going to make Miss Hinako give back the power she took from Touga?"  
  
Ranko watched in amusement as Touga floated through an open window looking very confused. "Maybe later. After all, we do want him to learn his lesson, don't we?" Ranko giggled again and this time, Akane joined him.  
  
  
  
  
Late that day, after Touga had vanished from sight, Utena was forced to face away from Shampoo as she dialed the pay phone, but she heard the Amazon say, "Is Shampoo. Want to speak to great grandmother." There was a pause and the Amazon girl spoke. "Great grandmother! Shampoo is too too happy to talk to you! How is guest?" Another pause and then, "Friend of Anthy wants to speak with her, is all right?" Shampoo waited a moment and then cheerfully handed the phone to Utena.  
  
"Hello?" Utena said tentatively, wanting to hear Anthy's voice so badly.   
  
"Greetings." An old sounding voice said. "You are Utena, I presume."  
  
Utena frowned, not recognizing the voice. "Yes. Is Anthy there? I need to talk to her."  
  
"Hush, child, and be calm. Anthy is safe and has spoken much about you. If what she has told us is true, then you are honored among us. I am Cologne and I will put Anthy on as soon as she has finished her training."  
  
"What training?" Utena asked. She was getting very frustrated with all this. Why wouldn't they just tell her what was going on.  
  
The old voice, Cologne, sighed. "I do wish I could speak with you in person, child. From what Anthy has told me, you would be an excellent Amazon with a little training."  
  
"An Amazon? Please, just tell me what's going on. I keep hearing that Anthy is safe, but I want to talk to her. Just let me come see her for myself."  
  
"No." The friendly voice hardened. "That will not be possible. You may speak with her, as my granddaughter has told you, but you can not see her at the moment."  
  
"Why not?!"  
  
"Her training will be jeopardized by your presence. Ah, here she is now."   
  
"Miss Utena?"  
  
Utena nearly fainted on hearing that voice. "Anthy, are you all right?"  
  
"Well," She sounded uncertain at first and then, strangely, her tone strengthened. "Yes. Yes, I'm all right."  
  
"You're sure? I...I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Anthy." Utena said in a wretched voice. "I don't even know how to help you now." She was on the verge of tears when she heard Anthy laugh.  
  
"Oh, Miss Utena, don't worry about me. They are treating me very well and I'm with my aunt Nadoka now. They're teaching me to take care of myself, so you won't have to worry so much." She sounded her blissful self again, truly happy.  
  
"I miss you, Anthy." Utena whispered.  
  
"I miss you too, Miss Utena."  
  
Utena couldn't think of anything else to say. They surely wouldn't let Anthy tell where she was, and she didn't exactly sound like she was in distress.  
  
"Child?" Cologne was on the phone again. "Have you heard enough?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Do not sound so disheartened, Child. Anthy is making great strides in controlling herself. You will be reunited very soon."  
  
Utena perked up instantly. "We will?"  
  
"Yes. Take heart and just relax, wait for just a few weeks more. Then we shall return her to you."  
  
Despite herself, Utena did feel herself obey the woman on the other end and relax herself.  
  
  
  
  
Saionji was walking around the campus and stopped to look at the rose garden, the cage that had been used to keep Anthy in. The precious treasure, so simple, had been replaced before anyone could blink by that little hellcat.  
  
His face dark, Saionji walked into the rose garden and he gave a long look to all the now dead roses. Anthy had been instructed to always stay in the garden, unless otherwise summoned by her groom, and care for the roses. Since the groom rarely had use for the bride outside the occasional duel, the roses were always magnificent.   
  
This new rose bride, Ranko, cared nothing for roses and had repeatedly said that she had better things to do than to water flowers. Now that she was technically engaged to that...that Kuno, Saionji had no right to interfere in what she did. But, he was certain, one day soon, he would win the Rose Bride, even if it wasn't Anthy at the moment. Then, he grinned, he would show Ranko who was the master and who was the bride.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw, what looked like a paper thin Touga float just inches in front of him and then get carried away on a breeze. Saionji stared a moment and then shook his head, as if to clear it. When he stopped there was no sign of the thing that looked like Touga and Saionji sighed in relief. It was just a trick of his mind. Thank goodness, Touga was safe and sound somewhere, there was no need to invent further silliness when there seemed to be so much around anyway.  
  
Saionji was about to find somewhere to plot his revenge on that dastardly Kuno when a loud, obnoxious voice shouted just behind him, "Aloha, student!"  
  
Saionji jumped and found the new principal behind him, compete with Hawaiian shirt, a pineapple, and a palm tree sticking out of the top of his head. Weird.  
  
The principal was quiet a moment and examined Saionji from behind his sunglasses. Then, with a lightening quick jerk of his hand, he had Saionji's long green pony tail in his hand.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Saionji demanded angrily. No one touched him like that!  
  
"Boys with to much hair is up to no good." The principal said in a serious voice, but still smiling. "We must take de hair away, make you respectable." Light flashed in his sunglasses and Saionji saw the man whip something out of his pocket. It was an electric razor. His hand tightened on Saionji's hair. "Don worry, boy. Dis won hurt, none."  
  
Saionji freaked when he heard the razor start buzzing. "Get away from me!" He screamed and gave the hardest kick to his attacker as he could. The principal leapt away and landed nimbly away from Saionji, but still holding the razors. "Are you insane? You can't just cut my hair!"  
  
The principal took a large booklet from somewhere and started flipping through it. "In contract, says I can. Page 38, section 22B, paragraph 6, and subsection 7. Principal is authorized to institute any measures to discipline unruly students, so long as corporal punishment is not used. Corporal punishment defined as any act that leaves bruises, laceration, scars, or draws blood." The principal gave Saionji a cold smile. "In other words, your hair is mine."  
  
"I am not an unruly student."  
  
"You is not in class. That mean you is unruly and delinquent. Keep questioning the principal and you will see Miss Hinako. There is scary woman." The principal actually shuddered.   
  
As always, Saionji had his bokten by his side and drew it menacingly. "Come one step closer, old man, and you will be hurt." He grumbled.  
  
The principal laughed. "Stupid boy! Who you think teach my son to fight? Kuno clan is best in Kendo in all of the world!" To Saionji surprise, the principal drew a bokten out and held it in the proper way for beginning a match. "We fight for your hair, is only right."  
  
Saionji fought very well, even after his crushing defeat against Kuno, but the principal was much better, especially after a strange little white cat with pink ears ran to close and tripped Saionji. It was only an accident, but, when he looked up, Saionji could have sworn he saw the cat laughing at him.  
  
His sword was kicked away from him and, from his awkward position on the ground, Saionji knew he had lost. Tears sprang to his eyes as he looked up at the obviously insane principal and saw the hair clippers in his hand. So many years it had taken to get his hair to look like this. So many years!  
  
"Now, don be like dat." Principal Kuno said coming closer. "Won hurt none. Just hold still." Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz  
  
"Arggggggggggggggggg!" The scream echoed through the school making everyone look up and wonder what was going on.  
  
Once again, Saionji was missing, hiding in the Kendo club for weeks after his little encounter with the principal from Nermia.  
  
  
  
The next duel was between Juri and Ukyo. It should have been Kuno against Juri, should the traditional dueling rules be followed, but Ranko had all ready shown her contempt for the duels, but the Nermia wrecking crew had decided that there was no way they would let Kuno have all the fun. He generously allowed Ukyo to fight for him and leant her his ring.  
  
"What's she still doing here?" Akane asked Ranma-Chan when Kodachi walked in on a very nervous look Miki's arm. "He doesn't look all together pleased with the situation, does he?"  
  
Ranma-Chan shook her head. "Not really. Poor kid."  
  
Miki stood helpless and not at all certain what he should do about the girl hanging onto his arm. He didn't even like her, but ever since he'd made the mistake of being nice to her at the last duel he just couldn't get rid of her.  
  
Juri looked down her nose at Ukyo who was unstrapping her large spatula from where she wore it on her back. "The rules of the duels state that you must fight with a sword." Juri told her opponent.  
  
Ukyo shrugged. "This is just the same. Sword is long and has a blade. My spatula is long and has a blade." Ukyo shot an almost amused look at Juri. "Come and get it, sugar."  
  
Juri charged the girl and noticed, at the last minute, the spatula did, indeed have a blade, sharpened to a razor's edge. Ukyo was no novice at this weapon, she wielded it as if it were a part of her body.  
  
Juri was no slouch, herself, and she refused to give in. She landed a few hits at Ukyo, though the intention was not to actually hurt one's opponent, Juri came quite close. Ukyo, wearing one of Kuno's red roses, seemed to be enjoying the match immensely. Even though she fought with a grimace on her face and was sweating heavily, Juri could see a light in her eyes that said Ukyo was just dying to fight like this.  
  
In the end, Ukyo won, slicing the black rose from Juri's breast with a single swipe of her spatula when she'd let her guard down for just a moment.  
  
Juri looked at the fallen Rose for just a moment and then back up to Ukyo. The girl was smiling at her as if nothing had happened. "Nice match." Ukyo said cheerfully before walking up to Ranma-Chan. "I concede to Kuno."  
  
"What?" Touga demanded. "You've had this all worked out the whole time?"  
  
Nabiki smirked. "Of coarse we have. You don't think we have done all this without a plan, do you? I'll tell you how this will work out now, shall I? Kuno is going to win. That's the bottom line. Then we will wait for Anthy and she'll decide who is to win between Miki and Utena because Kuno will concede to Utena and Miki will be the only one left."  
  
Touga looked thoughtful. "Would you like to go out for coffee with me, Nabiki?"  
  
This caught everyone by surprise, especially Nabiki who raised and eyebrow and Kuno who looked ready to kill.  
  
"Why?" Nabiki calmly asked while Mousse and Ranma-Chan were holding Kuno at bay.  
  
"You strike me as and intelligent young lady and I'd like to get to know you better." Touga smiled at her. There were few ladies who could resist his smile and he didn't think this cold fish would be able to, either.  
  
Nabiki walked up to his and looked him up and down, appraising him from all sides as if she were intending to buy him. Knowing Nabiki, that wouldn't be unthinkable.  
  
Then she stepped back and smiled. "You know, I just might accept."  
  
"Arrrrr!!!" Kuno screamed with rage and Ranma-Chan marveled. Who would have thought he had a thing for Nabiki, too?  
  
Touga, thinking how easy this victory had been, moved to put an arm around Nabiki and was stopped by her famous predator smile. "Just think," Nabiki said so softly that only Touga could hear. "I can get more dirt on you, this way."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean like the scandals going around this school. I mean like your private life." When Touga said nothing, Nabiki continued. "For instance, how would you like the whole school to know you wear girls underwear?"  
  
Touga started sweating. "How do you know that?" He whispered fiercely with his cheeks reddened.  
  
Nabiki patted the side of his face in a patronizing manner. "I know just about everything. This I got from an old pervert who was very surprised to find out that his newest panty raid resulted in a wonderful haul silky beauties he later found out belonged to a man. I have to tell you, he was very disappointed."  
  
Touga just stood there and then began backing away from her. "Oh, come back." Nabiki said teasingly. "I have more to tell!"  
  
Touga shook his head wildly and backed away to a safe distance with Nabiki laughing after him.  
  
Nabiki turned back to her friends with a strut and right up to Kuno, now a little calmer. "Aw, Kuno, baby. Don't you have any faith in me?"  
  
"Fair Nabiki, you are truly the most formidable woman I have ever known." Kuno said in an admiring voice.  
  
Akane looked confused. "What's going on? Are you two an item or what?" She hated it when no one told her what was going on!  
  
Nabiki gave her sister a smile. "Akane, why do you think I always call him, Kuno baby?"  
  
Akane thought about this and then looked at Kuno. "So why are you chasing Ranma-Chan and I?"  
  
Kuno shrugged in a good-natured fashion. "Just for fun."  
  
Everyone face faulted.  
  
  
The final duel between the Nermia crew and the Ohtori Academy Student council was between Touga and Akane. Akane stepped forward with her trusty wooden mallet in her hand and a small smile on her face.   
  
"Now, you can't possibly think to fight with that thing." Touga said, apparently completely recovered from his meeting with Miss Hinako. "It doesn't even have and edge." He was holding his own sword and looked very confident.  
  
Akane considered her mallet for a moment. It had always served her so well in the past, but perhaps, she should try something new out for this. Akane tossed the mallet into the air where it vanished slightly above her head.  
  
The Ohtori students' mouths all fell open. "How...?" Touga started, confused.  
  
"I just put it back where I got it from." Akane answered easily before she turned to Mousse who, as usual, was waiting quietly with Shampoo. "Hey, Mousse, do you have anything new I can use?"  
  
Mousse stepped forward and smiled. With a sharp snap, Mousse flexed his arms and several hammer-like weapons fell out onto the floor. "Take what you please, Akane. I have plenty."  
  
Akane examined the weapons before settling on a short metal hammer with a hammer on one end and an ax on the other. It was a vicious looking weapon and Akane swung it to test its balance and weight. She smiled. "I like it." She mumbled half to herself.  
  
Mousse carefully collected his hammers and easily slid them back up his sleeves while Akane went back to stand in front of Touga. "You wanted a blade?" She ran a finger down the ax edge. "This should do."   
  
Touga couldn't argue with this so the fight started. Touga was very good, but when he sliced Akane on the arm, another person entered the fight. While Ranma had enough faith in Akane, that she could handle the fight herself, Ryoga, now tethered to Ukyo with a long rope, screamed with horror. He had only recently been accepted back by Akane who was still mad at him and now someone had dared to draw blood on his darling, the love of his life!  
  
Ryoga snatched the bandanna from his forehead before anyone could stop him and threw it as had as he could at Touga.  
  
Ranma screamed at Ryoga, "You idiot!"  
  
Touga was sliced by Ryoga's amazing razor bandanna and fell, the rose falling as he did. In Touga's mind, he was defeated. Simple as that. When he looked up at Akane, though, he started to doubt. She was glaring angrily at him and then whipped her head back to Ryoga.  
  
"You fool." She snarled before walking to Ranma-Chan. With a disgusted sigh she said, "I concede to Touga on grounds of interference."  
  
Touga looked confused, as did most of the Ohtori students. "What are you talking about?" He asked.  
  
"Ryoga involved himself in a challenge between two people." Akane frowned at Ryoga who, now that he realized what he'd done, looked at his feet in shame. "That means you win by default." It sounded as if she were choking the words up and they hurt on the way up.  
  
Touga smiled with the realization, but then Utena spoke. "It doesn't matter to them." She told Akane. "To the student council, any win is a good win. It doesn't matter how you come by it."  
  
Akane glared angrily, still upset that her win had been taken from her. "It matters to ME! My honor is at stake and I will not win like that!"  
  
Utena was surprised by her attitude, but it was a nice change from the others way of thinking. "You can, of coarse, challenge him again." Utena suggested.  
  
Akane didn't bother to think about it. "I challenge you, Touga. This time, bare hands."  
  
Touga stared. "What? Bare hands? You can't duel with bare hands."  
  
"I didn't say anything about dueling!" Akane snapped. "I challenge you. Now." Akane handed the hammer back to Mousse, but made a mental note to ask if he would sell it to her. It was simply to beautiful to pass up. "But because you are obviously weaker, you may use your sword, if you like."  
  
Touga thought about this, and held onto his sword. "That's suicide." He said bluntly. "No one could beat a person armed with a sword with their bare hands."  
  
Akane went into a fighting stance. "Try me." Her eyes were furious.  
  
Touga shrugged and charged. Akane had him on his back in an instant and disarmed. He was flabbergasted to find he was helpless at the short girl's hands. He hadn't even seen it coming.  
  
"Geeze, Akane, are you done showing off?" Ranma-Chan asked. "You know that won't help matters anyway."  
  
"Yeah," Akane moved away from Touga. "But it made me feel better. Ryoga, if you ever do that to me again, I'll take that bandanna and cut off something very personal of your anatomy. Do you understand?"  
  
Ryoga gulped and dumbly nodded. He wasn't stupid, after all.  
  
  
So now, the duel winners were Kuno, Ukyo, and Touga. The only duelists who hadn't had a chance to fight yet were Miki and Utena and Ranma-Chan was deliberately leaving them for Anthy to figure out what to do with them.  
  
"Kuno vs. Touga." Ranma-Chan announced. Frankly, if it weren't for the fact that this involved her cousin, Ranma-Chan would have ditched this whole mess to get something to eat. She was starving. Curry would be nice right now and Utena had told them earlier that curry was one of Anthy's specialties. Maybe when she came back, Anthy would make some for them.  
  
The two young men faced each other; Kuno was thrilled, so happy to have won his beloved Ranma. Now he knew he was one of the fiancees. Of coarse, he wasn't serious about it; Nabiki would never forgive him if he went behind her back. Of coarse, he thought, if he invited her along for the playing, she might be more tolerant. He saw the looks she gave Ranma. It could be interesting.  
  
The two fought. Touga used every trick he could think of, but nothing could faze the more experience swordsman. Touga had been dueling since he was about ten, but this man had been fighting practically since birth. Kuno was also a trained fighter and easily anticipated Touga's tricks.  
  
Kuno won, with a blow to Touga's head that left him dazed and rattled while Kuno walked up to him and used the tip of the sword to pluck off the black rose. As he did this, the rose exploded.  
  
When the dust settled, the first voice to be heard was Kodachi. "Cough...cough. I think I'll go back to sleeping gas. It's far more reliable than these dynamite roses. Cough."  
  
Ranma-Chan sat up, looking irritated, but not really surprised. She had been expecting Kodachi to do something like this sooner or later, it had just taken longer than she'd thought.  
  
"You maniac!" Ukyo growled. "We could have died!"  
  
Kodachi shrugged and stood, dusting herself off. "Hope springs eternal." She muttered.  
  
Ukyo walked up to Ranma-Chan after everyone had recovered. "I concede to Kuno." She said.  
  
Kuno walked up also and handed the sword to Ranma-Chan. "Much as it pains me, I concede to the worthy Utena." He bowed in her direction. "May you defend Anthy as we have defended your claim as her prince."  
  
Ranma-Chan smiled. "Well, that's over with! Let's go eat, I'm starving!"  
  
"You is wanting ramen, Airen?" Shampoo asked eagerly.  
  
"No," Ukyo interrupted. "He'd rather have Okinomiaky, wouldn't you, Ranma, honey?"  
  
"Is no fair!" Shampoo exclaimed. "Spatula girl get to fight. Shampoo just sit on sidelines like stupid man should be doing!"  
  
"Now, Shampoo," Akane said to keep the peace. "You knew only a few of us could fight. There weren't enough of them for us to challenge properly."  
  
Shampoo was not convinced. "Shampoo think Airen should make it up to Shampoo by eating ramen!"  
  
The argument continued as the Nermia crew jumped off the edge of the dueling arena, going the way they had come.  
  
The student council stared at each other and seemed to realize they had finally met their match.  
  
  
  
Anthy returned. Cologne, Shampoo's great grandmother and the matriarch of the Amazons flanked her on her left and on her right was the quiet, powerful presence of Nadoka, Ranma's mother, smiling slightly.  
  
Anthy herself was so changed that Utena would barely have recognized her. She wore her hair long and down her back. Her school uniform had been changed for a red version of Shampoo's outfit. The red silk pants were certainly more modest than what she'd had before. She wore no jewelry and the only thing that still looked familiar was the wire rim glasses.  
  
Anthy's eyes were narrowed and she looked very, very dangerous. Ranma smiled. Now this was the cousin he remembered. She looked just like she had in his memories.  
  
Anthy walked passed the student council without so much as a glance and went straight to Utena. Utena, not sure what to make of the change in her friend, just stood there. "Anthy?"  
  
"Who did you expect?" Anthy replied with a saucy smile.   
  
She was so much more confidant now and Utena knew it would take a while to get used to the change. Apparently, Anthy had other business to take care of. "Excuse me, sweetie." She leaned forward and gave Utena a quick kiss on the cheek. "I've got something to do. You just stay here and let me do the work this time." Anthy sauntered back to where the student council was discussing this new development.  
  
Utena put a hand to the cheek where Anthy had kissed her. She hadn't expected that. Still, it wasn't all together unpleasant.  
  
"Listen up." Anthy said to get everyone's attention. She did. Everyone stared at her. "We're going to straighten everything out, once and for all." Anthy put a hand to her chest and pulled out the sword of Dios. "First of all, Miki, get away from that slut and go stand with Miss Utena." Miki numbly did as he was told, not understanding what was going on any better than anyone else while Kodachi spluttered with the insult. As Miki passed her, Anthy got a wicked look in her eyes and gave Miki a pinch on the bottom. Miki 'eeped' and ran to Utena's side.  
  
Anthy continued when Miki was away from the student council and addressed them. "Anyone who wants to own me, don't even think about it. That will not be happening anymore. I am the Rose Bride and Utena is my champion and prince consort. That is it and it is final. There will be no more duels except at my pleasure. Do you understand?"  
  
"Now wait just a minute..." Saionji, sporting his new crew cut, took a step forward and stopped instantly when Anthy's blade touched his throat.  
  
"No, you wait. I don't like you, Saionji. I never have and I never will. You are one of the most horrid humans I've ever met. There will be no duels and if you challenge me, I will kill you. Do you understand?" She nudged her blade enough that it broke skin and let a tiny drop blood run down the flat of the sword. "I am perfectly capable of fighting for myself now that the influence is taken away from my mind."  
  
"What influence?" Miki asked. "You are so different, Anthy." He sounded and looked very sad.  
  
Anthy took pity on him and moved away from Saionji to put a hand on Miki's shoulder. "I am not the girl you think you knew, Miki. This is who I am, a warrior. The sweet innocent Anthy you knew was brainwashed as a child and drugged into continuing this facade." Anthy spoke bitterly. "My brother, Aiko. He needed someone who could open the castle for him, I was convenient, and I had the power. Where is he?"  
  
  
  
  
Ranma was strangely happy as they all left Ohtori Academy with Furiken finally completed. His cousin was back and better than ever and now ruling the school with the air of a queen. The student council members served as her administrators and Utena was her consort. Ranma had thought that perhaps Anthy would go far in the world.  
  
  
  
The End  
  
  
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